Man and Beast
by catharticone
Summary: Something is lurking in the woods, hungry and drawn to a scent it cannot resist. Its encounter with Bella and Edward will begin a chain of events that place both humans and vampires in significant peril.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer**__: Twilight_ is the property of Stephenie Meyer. No infringement is intended.

_**Author's Note:**_ This story is set sometime during _Eclipse._

* * *

**_Prologue_**

The night was cold and heavy with fog, shrouding the forest in darkness. The chill and dark, however, were of no consequence to him. His feet moved over the damp earth steadily. He'd picked up the scent—subtle yet distinct—early in the morning as he wandered through the thick brush to the south. Keeping to the shadows and creeping slowly, he'd followed the trace all day. Now his nostrils flared with instinctual excitement.

He had nearly forgotten their scent; it had been so long since he'd sensed the beings that called to him, spoke deeply to his blood. He remembered little about them, only vague impressions and muted memories of quenched desire. He had subsisted without satisfaction for most of his existence. Yet a part of him had been compelled to continue the unending search for satiation, rambling through the woods unceasingly, moving toward something without quite knowing what it was.

He stopped to inhale deeply. Yes, there it was again, faint but real. The thing he craved most was within reach. There were many other scents, too; nocturnal animals large and small skulked and scurried through the dense foliage. A strong, musky odor met his nose, and he nearly snorted as hunger flared through him. His sharp eyes caught the deer bounding over the stream some distance to his left. He needed to feed before he could continue tracking.

In an instant he was upon the animal. A strange, high wail of primal fear escaped the deer as strong teeth sank into its throat. It was dead before its body touched the ground.

* * *

**_Chapter 1_**

Bella's truck rumbled along the deserted road, headlights slicing through the darkness and misting rain. She had stayed at Jacob's house later than usual, helping him balance equations; he wasn't doing very well in his chemistry class. The time had slipped away until he'd suddenly glanced at the clock and told her he had to get to a meeting.

"Sam'll have my hide if I'm late again," he'd said.

"Again?" She'd arched an eyebrow at him. "Not because of me?"

He'd smiled rather abashedly. "Only the last two times."

"What's the meeting about?" she'd asked curiously.

Jacob had shrugged. "Dunno. But this one's last-minute, and everyone's supposed to attend, so maybe something's up. Has the bloodsucker said anything?"

She'd frowned a little at that. "No, Edward hasn't mentioned anything to me."

"Whatever. I guess I'll find out soon enough."

As her gaze wandered to the blackness outside the window, she'd asked, "Why does time always get away from me while I'm here?"

He'd grinned. "It gets away from me, too. And that reminds me…" Abruptly he'd darted into his room. When he'd returned, he'd held something in his lightly curled fist. "Here."

Bella had lifted her hand, and he'd placed an old watch on her open palm. The time piece seemed functional; she could see that it was accurate. However, the face was scratched and dull. The edge of the leather band that held it, however, was shiny and appeared to be made of silver. She had inspected the workmanship. "Where did you get this?"

"It was my grandfather's. I think he got it from a friend years ago. I can't wear it—I'd bust the band if I phased with it on. You should take it. It'll help you keep track of the time better."

Although touched by the sentiment, she had balked at accepting the gift. "Oh Jacob, I can't take this. It's a family heirloom."

"Naw, it's just an old watch." He'd wrapped his huge hand around hers, his large, warm fingers gently enclosing the watch within her grasp. "Take it. Please."

There had been a touch of pleading in his eyes, and she'd realized how much her acceptance of the item meant to him. He couldn't give her the extravagant gifts that Edward offered almost off-handedly, but he could share a little piece of his family with her.

"Thanks, Jake," she'd said softly.

After carefully placing the watch on her wrist, he'd walked her out to the truck then enveloped her in a hug. For a few moments she'd stood in the warmth of his embrace before pulling away to settle into the chilly cab. She'd assessed the sky, feeling certain that rain was coming. Well, she'd supposed that wasn't so bad. Edward had planned to take her to his house for the evening, and she'd envisioned curling up with him in front of the blazing fireplace. The image had left her smiling for several minutes.

But now her expression was one of concentration and mild perturbation. The fog was thickening, making it difficult to see even with the high beams on. She drove slowly and carefully, estimating her distance. She was nearly off the reservation now. She hoped the haze would clear a little once she emerged from the forest and back onto the main highway.

She kept her hands firmly on the wheel and her eyes straight ahead. Was visibility too limited for her to drive safely? She debated pulling over and calling Edward. His highly enhanced senses would permit him to steer his car through the fog without difficulty, or he could come to her quickly on foot. But she was still on Quileute land. She just needed to go a mile or so further.

She nudged at the accelerator, and the truck spurted forward. She squinted in concentration, trying to remain on the road. So far so good… And then suddenly she felt the vehicle lurch to the side. She gripped the wheel, turning automatically to avoid whatever she'd hit. The truck steadied, but it was moving roughly, clunking along over the gravel road. She'd managed to damage something; that much was clear.

Bella shifted to neutral and set the parking brake before climbing out. The illumination from the headlights did little to pierce the darkness surrounding the truck. However, the vehicle's vague silhouette revealed that the front end tilted downward. She shuffled around to bend beside the right front tire. The moment she touched it, she realized it was flat. She felt around the deflated rubber, trying to find the source of the leak. On the inside rim, her fingers brushed over something cold and solid, firmly embedded in the tire.

She stood with a sigh. Her hair clung damply to her face, and a shudder ran through her. The drizzle was cold, almost icy. It wasn't much warmer inside the cab, but at least it was dry. Digging into her front pocket, she pulled out the phone Edward had given her. The light from the screen was a surprisingly welcome sight. She punched in his number, and he answered almost immediately.

"Bella. You're not home yet. Where are you?"

"I'm still on the road. I got a flat."

She could hear his engine roar to life. "I'll be there in a few minutes. Where, exactly, are you?"

She hesitated for just a moment. She was nearly to the highway, almost out of Quileute territory. If there was something going on among the pack, it would be best that Edward adhere strictly to the treaty. She wouldn't risk the tenuous accord between the wolves and the Cullens.

"I'm right at the intersection of the highway," she replied.

"All right, just wait for me there. I'm on my way."

His final words were fuzzy; the signal was cutting out. "Edward? I can barely hear you," she said. "I'm going to hang up and try again."

She tossed the phone onto the seat while she pulled the truck over onto the shoulder. Then she turned off the ignition and stepped outside again, phone in hand. She began walking as she redialed Edward's number.

The call wouldn't go through. Shaking her head in mild frustration, she shoved the phone back into her pocket and wrapped her arms around herself. She was shivering now, thoroughly chilled and quite soggy in the persistent dampness. She increased her pace, hoping to generate some body heat. She was also anxious to reach the highway as quickly as possible. It wouldn't take Edward long to get there, given his proclivity for speeding.

She was almost jogging, which a part of her knew wasn't her best idea. But she felt a sudden sense of urgency, and it propelled her forward—until her errant shoelace caught beneath her foot and she tumbled to the ground.

She took a moment to assess herself. She'd landed on her hands first. Her palms stung a little, but aside from that she was relatively unscathed. Gingerly she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, shaking her head in exasperation.

"Way to go, Swan," she muttered, her voice strangely muted in the swirling fog.

Still crouched near the ground, she turned her head abruptly. Something was moving through the brush just up the embankment. She froze to listen. Whatever it was, it sounded fairly large. Bella sprang up and dashed ahead.

The fog was so heavy now that she could barely see her feet. She felt the gravel beneath them, though, so knew she was still on the road. The highway had to be close. Her breath came quickly, and her heart began to thump in her ears. Twice she twisted her head to look back behind her, but she could perceive nothing through the cloying mist.

She tried to think rational thoughts. The woods were full of animals, and most were harmless. She'd probably heard a deer, maybe a doe with a fawn at her side. Surely it wasn't a bear or a mountain lion…

Abruptly the sky opened up and drenching rain pounded down, soaking her thoroughly within a few seconds. She slowed her pace out of necessity, hoping to avoid another stumble. For a minute or two, all she could hear was the drumming of the water as it hit the ground. But gradually another noise met her ears. Just ahead there was a low growling, and something very weighty was moving, crunching over the gravel. It must be a bear. She could think of nothing else heavy enough to make such a noise.

Bella's heart thudded against her ribs. Bears could be scared off with sound. Hadn't she heard that somewhere? Yes, Charlie had told her that if she ever encountered a grizzly she should wave her arms and yell at the top of her lungs. The only problem was that she could barely catch her breath, let alone shout.

She could see nothing through the curtain of rain, and it was falling so heavily now that it was drowning out the other sounds. She tried to steady her breathing, then she lifted her arms, gathered her courage, and gave a feeble cry.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

Suddenly Bella was blinded by bright light. She gasped and pressed her hand over her eyes.

"Bella!"

Edward's velvety voice cut through the rush of rain. By the time she'd opened her eyes, he was standing before her, wrapping his hands gently around her arms.

"Are you all right?" he asked, studying her face with concern.

"Oh!" she gasped, hugging him tightly. All her fears melted away; she was safe in his arms.

He kissed her forehead. "Come and get in the car. You're soaked, and you must be freezing."

He led her about a dozen steps, and then she saw the headlights. They were aimed away from her so had been obscured by the deluge. He helped her inside, immediately reaching for the jacket in the back seat and tucking it around her shoulders. Bella realized that her teeth were chattering.

"You're really chilled," he observed a bit anxiously. He'd already adjusted the heat; warm air was filling the car. "Why didn't you stay in your truck to wait for me?"

"It's about half a mile back," she managed to reply. She didn't need to add that it was still on reservation land.

"Oh." He considered this for a moment. "Bella, I think in a situation like this the pack would make an exception, if they even found out. With this rain, I'm not sure any discernible scent would remain."

"I'd rather not take any chances. You've all been getting along fairly well lately, and there's no reason for me to jeopardize that."

"You got a flat, love. You're not to blame. No one could fault you for asking for help."

She shrugged and offered him a half smile. "Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time."

He pressed his cool lips to her forehead again then pulled back to sweep his gaze over her. "Aside from being thoroughly saturated, are you all right?" He inhaled deeply, his brow tightening. "You're bleeding."

She lifted her hands. There were light scrapes across the heels of both palms. She could just see a trace of red on the left palm. "I tripped on something and took a header," she explained.

He arched an eyebrow at her. "Just one?" He took her hands in his to examine them.

"Ha ha."

"I think you'll live," he decided, folding over her fingers to kiss the tips. Noting the coolness of her skin, he added, "But you need to get into some dry clothes."

"A little time cuddling in front of a roaring fire wouldn't hurt, either."

He grinned. "I think that can be arranged. I may even be able to conjure up some hot cocoa for you." He released her hands to reach for the gearshift.

"Mmm, sounds perfect."

Idly, she ran a finger over the deepest scrape on the heel of her palm. She'd be sure to let the rain rinse away the flecks of blood before she entered the Cullens' house. No need to tempt fate…

She was lowering her hand to her lap when she noticed her bare wrist.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, pushing up her sleeve.

Edward glanced over at her. "What's the matter?"

"Jacob gave me an old watch to borrow, since I always seem to lose track of the time when I'm with him. It was his grandfather's… It's gone."

Edward seemed about to make a negative comment, but Bella's expression changed his tack. Instead, he asked, "Did you have it on when you left his house?"

"Yes. It must've fallen off when I was checking the tire, or maybe when I stumbled…" She tried to recall feeling the cool metal against her wrist.

With all the water and ensuing sludge, the watch would likely be buried in mud within the hour. She and Jacob had just reconnected, just re-established their fragile friendship. She worried that he would interpret the loss of the watch as a sign that their relationship wasn't important to her, and it truly was.

She looked pointedly at Edward. "You said the rain will wash away your scent," she remembered.

"Probably," he agreed. She could see he already knew what she was going to ask.

"Then can we go back and look? Just for a few minutes, just to where I left the truck?"

"All right, Bella," he replied with a small sigh of resignation. He pulled the car around swiftly and skillfully.

"Thank you." She squeezed his arm softly in gratitude.

"Let's start at the truck," he suggested, "then if it's not there, we can work our way back to the highway."

She nodded in agreement. Edward negotiated the gravel road flawlessly, undeterred by the veil of rain. In less than a minute they had reached her truck. He parked across the road, aiming the headlights to illuminate the opposite shoulder. He opened his door, saying, "Stay in the car. You just got warm."

The whoosh of frigid air immediately convinced her not to argue. She watched through the window. The rain had slackened slightly, and she could just see him as he moved around the truck, stooping to check the ground beneath the flat tire. He turned to her, grinning in triumph as he held up his hand. She caught a glint of silver from the embellished watch band.

And then suddenly his head whipped to the side, his mouth twisting into a fierce snarl. In a blur, something flashed toward him, hurling him over the truck. Bella stared in shock, her gaze fixed momentarily on the watch as it arced through the air and disappeared into the darkness.

And then every instinct screamed at her to help him, to do something…

"Edward!" she cried

Bella fumbled for the handle, flinging open the door and clambering out into the rain. She stumbled through the slick puddles and mud, moving around the truck. Edward lay in a twisted heap halfway up the embankment, his limbs oddly contorted.

She cried out his name again, and his head shot up. "Bella, no! Get back!" he bellowed.

But it was too late. By the time she saw the figure coming at her, it had already flung her back against the truck. The breath left her body in a great, wrenching rush. Her assailant's movements were so fast that she couldn't even process what was happening.

Pain flared through her neck, then there was an iron grip on her shoulder. Her body jolted forward, her hands flailing helplessly as she tried to find something, anything to hang on to. Her attempts were futile, though. Her vision was blurring and darkening, and a strange roar was building in her ears. She grappled with consciousness, but it was rapidly slipping away.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	3. Chapter 3

Growling furiously, Edward untangled his limbs and sprang to his feet, launching himself at the attacker as it threw Bella to the ground. By the time Edward reached her, the creature had disappeared into the forest. But he wasted little time in considering its preternatural speed and strength; his most pressing concern was the precious girl before him.

"Bella!" he cried, resting his shaking hand against her cold, wet cheek.

Her eyes were half-closed, and all the color had drained from her face. Beneath the rapid beating of her heart, he could hear her struggling to draw breath. The distinct, pungent perfume of her blood assailed him.

Hating to waste even a moment while she lay upon the ground, yet knowing how vital it was to obtain information, Edward shifted his thoughts away from Bella and listened.

He could sense the other's mind now, but there was no coherent language. He felt a predatory instinct overriding initial fear. Something about him—no, about the situation—had spurred the thing's flight response, but the fight instinct was rapidly returning.

The creature was circling back, sniffing and tasting the air, cataloguing the scents. One scent drew it nearer, while another caused it to hesitate. Concentrating deeply, Edward discerned the hint of muskiness that made the creature recoil slightly in innate apprehension. The wolves seemed to repel it, while his own intrinsic sweetness was drawing it in.

Edward realized that there was no time to spare; the creature could return at any moment. Carefully yet swiftly, he lifted Bella into his arms, considering the best method of escape.

Whatever had attacked them possessed the strength to rip a car apart in seconds. They would find no safety inside the Volvo. He could achieve greater speed on foot, anyway, and he could take a much more direct route with no need to remain on roads.

Holding Bella securely yet gently against his chest, Edward began to run. Her heart rate was slowing gradually, and she was breathing a bit more steadily, but her eyes were now fully closed. He spared a single glance down to see a crimson stain beneath the left side of her collar, the edges muddying in the steady rain. The position of her left arm was strange, too, and he shifted her slightly to avoid placing any pressure on the area.

Branches broke and shrubs snapped in his wake as he flew through the woods. His mind and body flinched as he neared his destination, but he knew he had no other choice. As he got closer to La Push, the creature's thoughts faded; it was not following him. He'd been correct in his guess that it would not venture too near the wolves' den.

What this predilection meant about its species horrified him. If it had a natural aversion to werewolves, logic told him that it must be a vampire. Yet its thoughts had been quite indistinct, so unlike the mental acuity inherent to the vampire mind. And it had moved so quickly he had been unable to get a clear view of it. It was, impossibly, faster and stronger than he was.

The rain was diminishing as he neared the town. The constant stream of water had washed most of the blood from Bella's collar, but now he could smell the heady perfume again. The creature had injured her; that much was clear. He had to resist the urge to stop and examine the wound, reminding himself that he needed to get her inside. Even though the pursuit had halted, he was not convinced that the creature would stay away indefinitely. Bella would be much safer within a building, surrounded by wolves. While the thought repelled him, the knowledge that her safety depended upon it drove him forward without hesitation.

He identified the Blacks' house easily among the other small homes. He shifted his attention to the street now, listening. He'd expected to be overwhelmed with the noxious canine odors, but they were subtle. As his mind sought the musings of others, he realized that the area was quiet. The houses were empty, though in most a light or two remained on.

He moved swiftly to the nearest home, glancing into the window. His sharp gaze caught a bright yellow flyer on the coffee table. He read the bold words quickly: There was a tribal meeting tonight at the school auditorium. All residents were strongly encouraged to attend. Edward's eyes shot to the clock on the VCR. The meeting had started only a few minutes ago.

He redirected his thoughts, searching as far as he could for any sign of the creature. He heard nothing. For the moment, he and Bella should be safe.

He dashed to Jacob's house, easily breaking the flimsy lock on the door. He shut it then took a few rapid steps to the small couch. Carefully he set Bella on the worn, flat cushions, his nose wrinkling instinctually at the acrid stench of dog that rose from the old sofa.

He pressed the fingers of his left hand over the pulse point in her wrist while reaching for his phone with his right hand. He pulled the small device from his pocket to find it crushed. He growled in frustration then momentarily returned his focus to Bella.

Her pulse was a little too fast, and weaker than he liked; she was slightly tachycardic. Her respiration rate remained shallow but steady. Her eyes were closed, but he lifted each lid gently to find her pupils dilated. Unsurprisingly, she was in shock. But what if it was something more?

His hand nearly shook as he brushed her wet hair away from her neck. The wound had ceased bleeding, but crimson smears remained, staining her pale skin and leaving his stomach knotted in fear. If that _thing_ had bitten her…

He used his damp cuff to wipe away the blood, revealing a shallow gash at the juncture of Bella's neck and shoulder. He probed the wound gently. It was not a puncture wound: She hadn't been bitten. But he knew that razor-sharp teeth could slash and leave venom in their wake as well.

He leaned in, nearly pressing his nose into the tear, inhaling deeply. He smelled no traces of venom, but the fetid canine odor seemed to cloud his senses slightly. Reluctantly he ran his fingertip over the wound, feeling the slick heat of Bella's blood against his skin. He closed his eyes and held his breath as his tongue darted out to taste the scarlet nectar.

It was sweet: Honeysuckle and freesia bloomed against his tongue. There was no hint of venom. Immensely relieved, Edward wiped his sleeve roughly over his lips and tongue and swallowed back the droplets of venom produced by his traitorous mouth. Then he continued with the tasks at hand.

Ensuring that Bella was stable was an immediate priority, but calling his family was critical, too. Quickly he searched her pockets to see if she had her phone with her, but she had apparently dropped it.

He shot to his feet and reached for the telephone on the wall. Through some quirk of fate for which he felt extremely grateful, the entire Cullen clan was away from home at the moment. However, he felt it imperative to contact them, to warn them to stay away. The creature could be drawn to their scents as surely as it had been drawn to his. He would not risk that.

Esme, Alice, and Jasper had gone to Seattle for the day, while Emmett and Rosalie planned to drive up to into the Olympic Mountains to test the new suspension she'd installed in his Jeep. While Edward hadn't appreciated his brother's explicit thoughts earlier in the day, at the moment he was glad that Emmett intended to spend several hours testing out the suspension in another way once they were deep in the forest. Carlisle was scheduled to work until 7:00; he would be on his way home now.

Edward picked up the receiver and punched in his father's number. He answered on the second ring.

"Hello?" His voice was professional but polite. He did not recognize the number.

"Carlisle, it's me," Edward said quickly. "Where are you?"

"Just pulling into the driveway—"

Edward's stomach clenched. Carlisle must have left work early. "Turn around!" he ordered, panic edging his tone.

"Edward, what—"

Hoping desperately that he wasn't too late, Edward cried, "Get the hell away from there. Now!"

* * *

_To be continued…_


	4. Chapter 4

Bella felt as though she were trapped beneath the dark ocean waters again. Everything seemed murky and thick. But gradually she became aware of a voice that filtered through the heavy haze. Soft, velvet tones drew her back, and then she felt the dull thrum of pain.

She heard a small whimpering sound and felt something cool close softly around her hand. She forced her leaden eyelids to open. Edward's beautiful face hovered over her. He had a phone at his ear.

His brow was creased with worry, and his lips were moving very quickly. She tried to listen, to hear what he was saying, because she knew that something had happened but she couldn't quite recall what it was.

"…attacked… I don't know! It was too fast… strength like I've never seen before." He shook his head and continued, more snippets reaching her ears. "…in shock, I think." He stopped speaking for a few moments, then, his voice utterly stricken, continued, "I couldn't protect her from it."

"Edward," she whispered weakly. She managed to curl her fingers around his palm.

He looked down at her. His jaw was clenched tightly, leaving his expression deeply pained. "She's waking up," he said into the phone.

He rubbed his thumb softly over the back of her hand, an unconscious gesture of comfort slipping through the tension so clearly visible in his rigid posture and taut countenance. He listened to the voice on the phone for several seconds, then he inhaled and exhaled slowly. She could see that he was trying to regain full control of his emotions.

"Contact them immediately! All right." He nodded once. "Yes, I will. I'll call you back when I'm done. Carlisle, be sure to impress upon them how dangerous it is."

Then he darted across the room to hang up the phone, returning to Bella's side almost before she could miss the feel of his hand in hers—almost, but not quite. He knelt beside her.

Full awareness was gradually returning to her. Unfortunately, as the fog faded from her mind, the pain increased. Her left side throbbed from her elbow to her ear. It was hard to pinpoint the exact source, though. She tried to concentrate, to focus a little more.

"Bella," Edward said, resting his wonderfully cool palm against her cheek. His eyes were very dark, almost black, and his gaze upon her was intense. It helped to draw her fully back to reality.

"Mmm," she murmured, trying to offer him a smile, because as bad as she felt, he clearly felt worse. His expression was one of abject misery. Bella reached back into her cloudy mind, trying to recall what had happened.

There had been rain, and a flat tire, and then Edward had come for her; he always came for her. And he'd found the misplaced watch, which had made her happy until… She gasped, her body jerking involuntarily as she remembered seeing him lying in a tangle of twisted limbs on the embankment.

"Are you all right?" she cried weakly.

Tightly he replied, "I'm fine."

"What… what happened? What was that thing?"

He shook his head. "I don't know."

Her eyes moved beyond his impossibly beautiful face to scan the familiar surroundings. Yet they were so incongruous, so surprising, that she could barely reconcile them. She frowned in confusion.

"We're at Jacob's house?" she asked.

He nodded. "I didn't have any choice. It was the only safe place. For some reason, that thing—that creature—is afraid of the wolves."

Bella's bleary eyes searched the room once more. "Where… is he?" she stuttered. She realized that she was shivering.

"The entire tribe is at some sort of meeting. They won't be back for a couple of hours." His frown deepened, and he pressed his fingers gently over her wrist. "Bella, love," he said, and she could tell he was making a concerted effort to keep his voice relatively calm,"you're still in shock. I need to get you warm, and I need to see how badly you're hurt."

She tried to keep her teeth from chattering, but it was a losing battle. She gave a small nod. She was terribly cold, and her arm hurt so much. "My arm…" she began before her teeth clamped together again.

"I know. Let me get these wet things off first, then I'll take a look."

Edward was a blur as he flew from the room. He returned seconds later with towels, blankets, a tee shirt, socks, and sweat pants. Vaguely she was aware that the items were Billy's. Even if Jacob's clothes hadn't been a dozen sizes too large for her, she knew Edward would refuse to dress her in any of his things.

Edward slowed his motions as he removed her wet clothing. However, even careful movements caused a tidal wave of pain in her arm, so finally he resorted to ripping the garments away from her body to avoid moving her any more than necessary. He pulled off her shoes, socks, jeans, and sweater and tossed the shredded items onto the floor.

She could see the unnatural angle of her left arm quite clearly now. There was a smear of blood across her shoulder, too. It brought a twist of nausea to her belly.

"Oh crap," she murmured, swallowing hard against the queasiness.

"Let me see, Bella," Edward said. His voice was soft again; she thought he was trying to sound soothing. It calmed her a little.

Carefully he felt along her left arm, collar bone, and shoulder. Yet even his cold, gentle touch brought a new surge of pain. Tears prickled in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, love," he said, his expression conveying his deep regret at causing her discomfort. "Your shoulder is dislocated, but I don't feel any breaks in the humerus, scapula, or clavicle."

She nodded woodenly.

"Does anything else hurt?" he asked.

"Not as much as my shoulder," she whispered hoarsely.

"I'm just going to do a quick check," he replied.

He kissed her sweat-slicked brow then continued his assessment. After his fingers explored her scalp and neck, he moved on to her right arm. He gently pressed his hands over her ribcage and abdomen. He inspected her legs and feet as well.

"I think your shoulder is the only major injury," he reported, sounding relieved. "There's a… cut on your neck, too, but it's not terribly deep. It shouldn't require stitches."

"O…kay," she acknowledged. Chills shook her almost violently.

After drying the remaining dampness from her limbs and hair with soft sweeps of a towel, Edward slid the sweatpants over her legs and encased each foot in one of Billy's too-large socks. He covered her with two blankets and slipped a pillow beneath her head.

"I'll be right back," he told her, disappearing for a few moments.

He came back with a small first aid kit in one hand and several pill bottles in the other. He set the items on the battered coffee table. He perched on the edge of the couch and opened the plastic box, removing a packaged alcohol wipe.

"I'm going to clean the cut on your neck, all right?" he asked.

She gave a tiny nod. Her shoulder was in agony, and she barely felt the sting of the alcohol as Edward wiped away the remaining blood and dabbed at the wound. He pulled a square of gauze and a roll of surgical tape from the kit to bandage the site.

"I need to call Carlisle now," he told her.

Through the haze of pain she barely noticed his actions. She was aware, however, that he kept her hand in his. There was an odd echo in her ears, sort a soft whooshing sound. It was hard to hear what Edward was saying. Still, she caught a few words:

"Anterior dislocation… subcoracoid… Vicodin, 5 mg., … No, they're equal and reactive… Still slightly tachycardic…"

He leaned forward to press his fingers lightly against her left arm in several spots. He murmured some numbers into the phone then listened for a few seconds. He frowned again and looked pointedly at her, his brow furrowing deeply. "I've seen it done." He sounded hesitant. "I know, Carlisle, but—" His voice dropped, and she couldn't hear him. Then he said more clearly, "Yes, I think so. Just… stay on the line until it's done?"

He set the receiver on the coffee table then vanished for an instant. In the blink of an eye, he was back at her side with a small glass of water. He opened one of the pill bottles and shook out two tablets.

"These will help with the pain," he told her, lifting her head tenderly and slipping the pills into her mouth. He held the glass to her lips so that she could take a sip.

For once in her life, Bella did not protest the medication. She swallowed the pills obediently. Edward stroked a few strands of hair away from her damp forehead.

"They'll begin working soon," he said. "But the best thing for your shoulder—the best way to ease the pain—is to do a reduction."

"Reduction?" she repeated in confusion. Did he mean reducing the pain? Wasn't that what the pills were supposed to do?

"Put the humerus back into place," he clarified. "The pain should lessen almost immediately once it's done."

"Oh." That was a very appealing thought. "How soon can Carlisle get here?" she asked.

Edward inhaled sharply, and his brows pulled together tightly. "He can't—at least not right now. But I can do it… if you want me to." His tone was reticent, unsure.

"Can you?" she asked. "I mean, do you know how?"

"I've read about and witnessed the procedure a number of times, and Carlisle reviewed exactly what I'd need to do."

"And… it'll stop hurting so much?"

He nodded as he tenderly wiped the tears away from her cheeks. "It should."

"Then do it," she said.

"Bella, are you sure?"

"Yes." Fresh tears stung at her eyes. "It really hurts, Edward."

"I know, love. Close your eyes."

She did, and she felt his lips touch each eyelid. Then he helped her to sit up, and his cold hands wrapped around her shoulder and upper arm. She didn't want to cry out, but a gasp of pain escaped her as he jerked her arm and renewed fire bit into her shoulder. For a moment she feared he'd forgotten his strength and pulled her arm from her body.

She squeezed her eyes shut more tightly, fighting against the darkness threatening to steal over her. A sob caught in her throat; more hot tears gathered in her eyes.

And then she felt the cool touch at the back of her neck and heard the velvet voice softly urging her to breathe.

"It's all over, Bella," he said. "It's back in place. Just try to breathe, love, but not too fast."

The pain had faded, she realized. Her shoulder still hurt, but the horrific searing was gone. She opened her eyes to Edward's very concerned face.

"Oh," she exhaled. "Thank you."

He kissed her gently then excused himself for a moment, going into the kitchen to rummage through the drawers. He returned with a clean dish towel and used it to fashion a sling. He looped it over her neck then very carefully positioned her arm within it.

His gentle hands guided her to lie back on the couch. She was utterly exhausted now, so she welcomed the change in position. She wasn't sure she had the strength to remain upright.

Edward tucked the blankets around her again then held the phone to her ear. "Carlisle wants to speak to you for a moment," he said softly.

"Carlisle?" she croaked.

"Bella. How does your shoulder feel?" The familiar, calm voice was comforting.

"It aches, but the really bad pain is gone," she replied honestly, too tired to dissemble.

"Is there any tingling or numbness in your arm or hand?" he asked.

"No."

"And is there anything else, dear? Do you have any pain elsewhere?"

"I guess I'm sort of sore everywhere, and the cut on my neck hurts a little, but I think I'm okay."

"All right. I want you to do as Edward says. He's going to take good care of you, and I'll see you as soon as I can."

She wanted to ask when that would be, but Edward took the phone from her then, speaking quickly and quietly into it for a few seconds before hanging up. He sat down on the floor beside her and smoothed a hand over her hair.

"When are we leaving?" she asked.

"I don't know," he replied tightly.

Bella frowned in confusion. "Is Carlisle coming here? I thought the treaty—"

"No," Edward interjected, "he's not coming here. He's not coming anywhere near here." He raked a hand through his hair.

Edward had said whatever attacked her wouldn't come here, that it was scared of the wolves. Was he worried that it would try to come at her again if they left the sanctuary of La Push? And why had it attacked in the first place?

Bella's heart began to pound as the possibilities flooded her. "Was it a vampire?" she whispered. "Did it want _me_?" Her hand flew to the bandage on her neck.

He caught her wrist gently. "No, Bella, it wasn't after you. And it didn't bite you. There was no trace of venom in the wound. I think it scratched you, or possibly something at the scene cut you."

"If it wasn't trying to get me, then…" She gasped softly. "It wanted you?"

He nodded somberly. His voice was thin, almost weak, and she knew he was overwhelmed by guilt and recrimination. "I think it was attracted by my scent. What that means about its species, I don't know. But it seemed drawn to me."

"It wasn't your fault," she said, twining her fingers through his. "You didn't know."

"I should have, though. There shouldn't be anything that I can't see or hear coming—"

Bella's eyes widened as another thought struck her. "Your family!" she nearly gasped. "Oh God, Edward. If it's drawn to vampires, they're in danger!"

He shook his head. "It's all right. Everyone's away, and Carlisle's warned them to stay where they are. He was approaching the house when I first called him, but he's on his way to Seattle now. He'll meet up with Esme, Alice, and Jasper, and Emmett and Rose will join them as soon as possible."

"Will they be safe there?"

"I think so. That _thing—_whatever the hell that creature is—struck me as essentially feral. I don't think it would be comfortable venturing far from the shelter of the woods. Following them into the city would go against its basic instincts."

She nodded. "You really don't know what it is?"

"No. Its thoughts weren't terribly intelligent or sharp. That's very atypical for a vampire. But its innate aversion to the wolves speaks to a vampiric nature. And it was extremely fast and incredibly strong, too…"

"Could it be a newborn?"

"I don't think so. Even newborns have great intelligence. It's not very focused, but it's there beneath the surface. This creature doesn't appear to have that."

Bella was beginning to feel a bit dull intellectually, too. Her mind was becoming fuzzy, and her eyelids felt heavy. She wanted to keep talking, to help Edward figure it out, but she was growing drowsy. She gave her head a little shake to try to regain some alertness.

"What's wrong?" he asked her with renewed concern.

"Sorry. Just feeling sort of sleepy. Could you get me some more water?"

He stroked her cheek gently with his thumb. "That's the medication, love. It's all right. You try to sleep for a little while. That's the best thing for you."

"But I don't want to…"

His grave expression changed to a more affectionate one as he tucked the blanket around her. "Always so stubborn."

"Am not…"

He chuckled lightly. "Just rest, Bella. I'll be right here."

She sighed. She'd just close her eyes for a minute or two, just long enough to chase away the grittiness. Her eyelids lowered slowly as she listened to Edward's steady breathing at her side.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_I have had considerable difficulty posting at this site recently. I'm going to give it one more try, but I may not continue posting this story here. If this is the case, I will gladly provide a link for the completed story to anyone who is interested.


	5. Chapter 5

Bella's sleep was fitful. Edward watched her eyes move beneath her pale lids and listened to her shifting respiration and heartbeat. Her mind was resisting the deep slumber that her body needed.

She'd been dozing for about an hour when he heard the whisper of approaching thoughts. The meeting must have ended; residents were returning to their homes. He listened to the dozen or so minds as they neared the surrounding houses. He heard rumblings of anxiety and plans to keep children inside, but he couldn't discern the cause of this concern. He supposed he'd find out soon enough.

He'd been sitting on the floor beside Bella, but now he stood, then, reconsidering, sank down to perch stiffly on the coffee table. He'd be visible once Billy opened the door, but his posture would seem less threatening if he were seated.

He listened to the approaching thoughts and accompanying footsteps. Only one person was nearing the house: Jacob. Edward's body tensed as he waited for the door to open. There was slight pause as the boy noted the broken lock, his mind already preparing to phase if necessary. Quickly he flung open the door.

Jacob's eyes scanned the room, immediately finding the unwelcome intruder in his home. He snarled, and his body stiffened.

"Cullen!" he hissed. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Edward stood slowly. "I didn't have a choice," he began, trying to keep his voice steady even as his entire body bristled at the presence of the werewolf.

Jacob's gaze shot to the floor. Bella's torn clothing remained where Edward had tossed it. In two long strides, the Quileute reached the couch. He stared at Bella's still, pale form for a second then lifted his eyes to glare at Edward.

"What have you done to her?" he demanded.

Edward could hear his mind readying for the change. He was prepared to attack, to tear the vampire limb from limb. His skin seemed to shimmer, and Edward could feel the alteration in the electrical impulses in the air between them as the boy's nerves began to fire with inhuman rapidity. Another growl shook Jacob's mighty chest.

"Please, just let me explain," Edward tried again.

"Yeah, you'll explain this all right, leech," Jacob bellowed, "after I've torn your cold, dead body into a dozen pieces! I'll be sure and leave your head for last."

"Jacob?" The soft, tired voice surprised them both. As Bella's gaze focused on Jacob's shuddering body, she pushed herself up onto her elbow and cried weakly, "No, don't!" The blankets fell away from her.

"Bella! What the hell did he do to you?" Jacob asked, shocked to see that she wore only her bra. He didn't even register the sling at first.

In an instant Edward had moved to support her with an arm around her back as he covered her again.

"He didn't do anything to me. He saved me," she said. "Please just calm down. Both of you."

After one stern glance at Jacob, she gave Edward a pleading look, and he tried to tame the deep glower twisting his expression.

Jacob was still on edge, but Bella's plea seemed to help him bring his focus back to his human form. He wasn't in danger of phasing at the moment. However, he remained angry and confused. He stalked forward, stopping about three feet from the couch.

"What happened?" he spat, his thoughts toward Edward still overtly accusatory.

"Something attacked us in the woods, right by the border," she replied. "We don't know what it was, but Edward could sense that it was afraid of you—of the pack—and wouldn't follow us here."

Edward nodded in confirmation. Bella's voice was calming to him, too. "Bella was hurt," he continued, "and her safety was my only priority. I didn't know what else to do."

"So you broke into my house?" Jacob asked, glaring at the door then at Edward again.

He shrugged in vague apology. "I'll buy you a new lock, or a new door if you want. I didn't have any other option."

Jacob's gaze returned to Bella. He was concerned now. He could see how pallid she was, and the bandage on her neck was visible beneath her hair.

"How bad are you hurt?" he asked.

"I'll be all right," she replied.

He pointed at the knot against her neck. "What's with the sling?"

"My shoulder was dislocated," she replied. "Edward fixed it."

Jacob was surprised to hear this. "_You_ fixed it?" he asked, eyes narrowing at Edward.

Edward couldn't resist a bit of superiority. "I've graduated from medical school— twice," he said, pausing for effect.

"You…" Jacob shook his head. "Yeah, whatever." He directed his attention to Bella again. "Even so, you should go to the hospital. You probably need x-rays or something."

"Believe me," Edward said, "this is the last place I want to her to be, but for the moment we don't have a choice. Whatever attacked us is still out there. And it's got incredible strength; it threw me twenty feet as if I weighed nothing. I felt how strong it is—stronger than I am, stronger than you."

Jacob snorted. "Yeah, right."

"Jacob," Edward said, completely serious now, "I mean it. That thing is extremely dangerous. But it has an instinctual distaste for your kind, and I don't think it will come near here as long as the pack is around."

Jacob huffed impatiently. "You don't _think_ it'll come here, but you don't know that."

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, I don't know that for certain. But everything I heard in its thoughts indicated its aversion to you."

"But it attacked you," Jacob said, trying to understand the situation fully. His brows drew together tightly as he asked, "Was it after Bella?"

Edward's fingers closed gently around her small palm. "I don't think so."

"It seemed drawn to him," Bella told Jacob.

Jacob held up a huge hand. "Drawn to _him_?"

With an apologetic glance at Edward, she replied, "It seems to have some sort of primal drive to attack him, and probably to the rest of the family, too. But everyone else is safe; they're staying away."

Edward forced himself not to growl as Jacob's thoughts about his family bombarded him. _Good riddance—should let it get 'em all—kill seven vultures with one stone…_Edward settled for a venomous glare.

"So what the hell is this thing?" Jacob finally asked, his curiosity overcoming his animosity.

Edward shook his head. "I don't know. Its thoughts seem too unfocused and dull to be a vampire, but it has an instinctual aversion to your kind… I don't know what else it could be."

"So maybe it's some sort of rogue bloodsucker," Jacob mused with a slight sneer of disdain. "Maybe something happened to it, something went wrong during its transformation, or whatever the hell you call it."

Edward nodded thoughtfully. "That's not a bad theory. I'll have to discuss it with Carlisle and see if he's ever heard of anything like that—"

"Yeah, fine," Jacob said tersely. "But in the meantime, we need to figure out how to keep everyone else safe."

"I agree," Edward said. "Can you get the rest of the pack so that I can speak with them?"

"Not a good idea," Jacob disagreed. "If they see you here, they're gonna phase before you can offer them any explanations."

Bella gasped, reaching for Edward's hand. "Jacob, you have to keep him safe," she implored. "Keep the others away—"

"All right," Edward interjected, "just Sam then. Tell him what's going on before he gets here."

Jacob strode to the door. "Yeah, sure." Before stepping back into the night, however, he turned to look at Bella. "You gonna be all right here?" Edward didn't need to hear his thoughts to know the implication of the question.

"I'm fine, Jacob," she assured him.

He left with a final warning glare at Edward.

Bella sighed. "Sorry," she said. She knew that Jacob's hostility extended beyond Edward's species. Jealousy, resentment, and anger fueled his feelings, too.

"It's all right, love. I don't care how much enmity he throws out at me as long as no one else gets hurt."

The blanket had slipped again. She pulled it up then paused. "Can you help me put that on?" she asked, glancing at Billy's old, grey tee shirt on the table.

"Oh, of course."

Gingerly he removed the sling then eased the roomy shirt over her arm, working so carefully that her shoulder barely moved. However, he heard her heartbeat increase momentarily as he shifted her arm back into the sling; he was causing her pain.

"Sorry," he murmured.

Her cheeks flushed as she smoothed down the shirt. "Thanks."

He pressed his lips over her warm forehead. "I can't tell you how sorry I am that you were hurt," he said softly.

"It wasn't your fault."

He shook his head. "I should have been able to protect you."

She lifted her good arm to his face, resting it against his cheek. "Edward, there was nothing you could have done. You said it yourself; that thing is too fast and too strong."

"But I should have sensed it—"

"It was probably too far away until the last moment," she said quickly. "It must have been, or you would have heard it."

Resigned, he replied, "At least it's nowhere near here. I haven't been able to pick up even a vague thought since before we got to town."

She nodded. "That's good. Everyone here is safe."

"For the moment." His head shot up. "Jacob's back with Sam."

The door opened and the two tall Quileutes stepped inside. Sam's expression clearly conveyed his distaste for one of the visitors.

"Sam," Bella said, holding out her hand. "Thank you for coming so soon."

The pack leader accepted her greeting, squeezing her hand quickly. "Bella. Jacob told me you were hurt."

"I'm okay," she said.

Sam crossed his arms over his solid chest and looked pointedly at Edward, who had remained seated in an effort to appear as non-threatening as possible. However, he sat up straight, unwilling to show submission.

"Sam," he began, "I appreciate your willingness to speak with me."

Sam shook his head. "I didn't have any choice. You've come here, onto our land, into our town and inside one of our homes."

"But Jacob's told you why," Edward said quickly. "Bella's life was in danger. I'm sorry that I broke the treaty. If I'd had any other choice, I wouldn't have."

"That's something we'll discuss later—and believe me, I won't forget—but right now my priority is the safety of everyone in this town."

"There's something going on," Edward said. "You called an emergency meeting, and people are concerned…"

Sam nodded gravely. "Jared and Embry found evidence of something in the woods this afternoon—"

"What was it?" Edward asked immediately, hoping the wolves could help to identify the creature.

Sam shook his head. "They don't know. They both thought vampire at first, but the signs were vague, and due to the rain this morning there was almost no scent. It must've been the same thing that attacked you, though… I have Quil, Embry, and Paul on patrol now."

"Where did they find the signs, exactly?" Edward pressed.

"Near the border, up toward the highway," Sam answered.

"Close to where we were attacked," Bella supplied.

"What sort of signs did they find?" Edward asked.

Sam's frustration was evident in his thoughts. "Neither one could be sure. Both said it was really not much more than a feeling, but they both got it, both sensed a presence that wasn't human or any animal they've encountered before. They both felt a strong sense of danger."

"It's sentient," Edward confirmed, "and it's got higher intelligence than an animal, but its mind is much duller than that of any vampire I've ever encountered."

"And it's stronger than you," Sam verified.

Edward nodded somberly. "It moved so quickly that I couldn't see it clearly."

"What the hell could it be?" Jacob muttered.

"I don't know," Sam replied. "But whatever it is, it poses a threat to our people, and it needs to be stopped."

"I agree," said Edward, his hand closing protectively over Bella's again.

Sam was already formulating a plan. It made sense; it was logical and probably the only thing that would work. Edward's jaw clenched tightly, but he began nodding in agreement even before the pack's Alpha spoke.

"Its strength can't be greater than all of ours together," Sam said, looking at Jacob and visualizing his massive wolf form. "Six of us should be able to subdue it until we can figure out what it is."

"But it won't come near any of you," Bella said.

"No," Jacob agreed, "but if we can draw it out, get it occupied with something else, we can be on it in thirty or forty seconds."

Bella's brow furrowed as she considered this, then she began shaking her head as comprehension dawned. "No," she murmured, then more loudly as her eyes met Edward's, "no! You can't even consider that!"

"Bella, it's the only way," Edward said, his voice low and outwardly calm.

Jacob chuckled darkly. "Yeah, leech. You're gonna serve as bait."


	6. Chapter 6

Bella was frantic. Her grip on Edward's hand was so tight that her knuckles were white. "Please, Edward, you can't!" she begged. "It's too dangerous!"

He was infuriatingly calm as he told her once again, "It's the only way to draw the creature out into the open. If it's preoccupied with me, the wolves should be able to surround it—"

"You can't put yourself in danger like that!" she protested.

He shook his head. "I know more about it now. I know how fast and how strong it is. I'll be prepared to face it; I'll have a strategy."

"But you'll be alone! You can't face it by yourself! What if the pack doesn't get to you in time?" Her eyes were bright with unshed tears.

Jacob was not unmoved by her distress. "Bella, we can reach him in less than a minute, even if we're a couple of miles away."

"How will you know when it gets there?" she asked angrily. "You can't hear him from that far!"

Sam held up his cell phone. "He'll stay on the line the entire time."

She glanced at his crushed phone; he'd tossed it onto the table over an hour ago. "His is broken!"

Sam almost smiled as he said, "He's not the only one who has a cell phone. We'll find one he can use." He slipped out the door, motioning for Jacob to follow. Bella barely noticed them leave.

Her pleas were futile. Frustrated and frightened, she blinked back her tears and fixed her gaze on Edward. "Please," she said beseechingly, "I don't want you to go."

"I know, love," he replied gently, "but I have to. This thing is a serious threat to my family. I can't put them in danger."

"But they can help," she said, desperate to find a last-minute solution. "There's safety in numbers. Wait until they come back—"

"No," he said firmly yet kindly. "There's no reason to endanger them as well. The pack and I will take care of this."

"Won't you at least talk to Carlisle about it? Tell him what you're planning, see what he thinks. He may have another idea—"

"I imagine he would," Edward acknowledged with a small grin, "but it wouldn't be as good as this one."

Bella did not try to stop the tears that flowed down her cheeks now. "I can't live without you," she said. "Please, don't…"

His cool fingers brushed the tears from her cheeks. "Sshh," he soothed, pulling her into his arms gently. "I'll be all right, love. You know I'm indestructible."

"No, you're not," she countered. "James wasn't—"

"Bella, it takes a very, very significant effort to destroy one of us. Fire's the only way, really. And this creature isn't carrying any matches; I'm sure of that. There's really nothing it can do to me."

"It can hurt you!"

He kissed her hair. "I heal fast."

Her hand closed into a fist around his shirt. "I don't want you to go," she repeated; she couldn't think of anything else to say, anything that might dissuade him more than her own feelings.

"I know, my love, but I have to."

For several minutes she rested against his stone chest, feeling the strength of his body and mind even as his fingers traced along her cheek and jaw with infinite tenderness.

"They're back," he said softly just before Bella heard the voices outside.

He tilted up her chin and kissed her quickly then pulled away. Strangely, a shiver ran through her after the contact with his cold body ceased. He stood as the door opened.

"I got you a phone," Sam said, tossing the small silver device to Edward.

He caught it without even looking. "Thanks."

He spent a few moments conferring with Sam. They spoke in low voices, and she couldn't quite understand their words. Jacob plopped his massive form down on the couch beside her.

"We aren't gonna let anything happen to him," he reassured her. Some of the animosity had faded from his tone.

"Promise?" she asked, her expression entreating.

"Yeah." He patted her knee softly. "So how're you doing? Does your shoulder hurt?"

"Not that much. I haven't really been thinking about it."

"That's good, I guess." They sat without speaking for several long moments, then Jacob said, "Billy's gonna come back to wait with you. Jared'll be outside on patrol, too, just in case. You'll be safe here."

"I'm not worried about _my_ safety!" she cried. Her eyes moved to Edward; his back was toward her. She saw him flinch at her words, but he did not turn around.

She heard more voices outside. Jared wheeled Billy into the house. Edward received wary glances from both the youth and the man, but the looks were brief.

"Bella," Billy said with concern, "are you all right?"

She wanted to shake her head fiercely, to shout out that she was as far from all right as anyone could possibly be, but instead she nodded woodenly. In truth, she was beginning to feel rather numb. The icy knot of fear twisting through her stomach was spreading, leaving her in a sort of deadened haze. There was nothing she could do, no way to help Edward, to prevent him from walking willfully into an insanely dangerous situation…

And she knew that, in large part, his determination to do this reckless thing stemmed from his intense desire to keep her safe. If she hadn't been attacked and hurt, he wouldn't be so dead-set on facing the creature again. It was her fault: Her stupid, human frailty would lead him out into the dark, cold, relentless woods to confront the thing that had injured her.

The cool touch at her cheek brought her mind back into focus. Edward knelt before her, watching her intently.

"Bella? Sweetheart, are you in pain?"

"Yes," she replied softly. "But it's not from my shoulder."

He closed his eyes for a moment then opened them to meet her gaze. "It's going to be fine. I'll see you soon." He kissed her forehead then shot to his feet.

"Edward," she called feebly as he neared the door. "Be careful. Please. All of you."

He disappeared into the dank night, Jacob, Jared, and Sam close at his heels. Billy wheeled his chair toward the couch, his expression sympathetic.

"The boys know what they're doing," he said.

"Sure," she replied automatically.

"How about some TV while we wait?" he asked.

"Mmn, fine," she muttered disinterestedly.

She watched his hand reach for the remote and wondered vaguely, irrelevantly, if he'd manage to find some sporting event. It seemed there was always something for him and Charlie to watch…Suddenly Bella took a breath. Maybe there was a way to help Edward after all.

"I should call my dad," she said quietly. "He's expecting me home soon—I'm probably already late."

Billy gave her a hesitant look. "They said to be sure you stayed here and didn't use the phone."

So Edward had suspected that she'd try to call his family. She supposed it wasn't a great stretch, even if he couldn't read her thoughts. Bella shifted her arm within the sling, causing a sharp twinge. Her lips compressed.

"Hey, Bells, you okay?" Billy asked.

"It hurts," she said, making it sound like an admission. "My shoulder was dislocated, and Edward fixed it, I think, but it's still really painful."

"As soon as this is taken care of," he glanced out the window, "I'm sure Edward will take you to the hospital."

She sighed pitifully. "I know I have to stay here; I understand that. But I really need to talk to my dad. I just want to hear his voice." She moved her arm subtly again, just enough to spark another pain. She did not fight the tears now stinging at her eyes.

She sniffed and wiped her hand across her eyes. "Sorry."

"No, honey, it's okay. I should've realized how much it would hurt." He turned his head for a second to consider the phone on the wall.

Bella poked sharply at her shoulder. The tears welled faster. By the time he'd returned his gaze to her, wet trails ran down her pallid cheeks.

"Aw, Bells, don't… Go ahead and call him."

"Really?"

"Sure. But just for a minute, okay? And it'll be just between us."

She understood that he didn't want to risk Edward's wrath. But that was unimportant now. Billy wheeled himself to the wall and reached for the phone. He handed it to her. She gave him a teary, grateful smile then punched in the number, slowing her motions intentionally. Really, she couldn't place the call fast enough.

She waited until the voice on the other end chirped out a tentative, "Hello?"

"Hi, Dad," she said.

"Bella?" Alice asked. "Where are you?"

"I'm still in La Push, at Billy's," she replied. "It looks like I'm going to be stuck here for a while."

"Stuck? What do you mean?" Alice waited a few moments, obviously thinking about the subtext of Bella's words. "They won't let you leave?"

"Uh huh."

"What's going on? Where's Edward? I can't see him—I haven't been able to in several hours. Carlisle told me something attacked you, that Edward wanted us to stay away—"

"Yeah. My truck had a blow-out and went off the road." She paused for effect then added, "Not really. I banged up my shoulder, but otherwise I'm okay." She tried to chuckle. "Edward always says my truck's a monster. I guess it's a good thing it is. Aside from the tire, I think it came through pretty much unscathed."

"Okay, so when you say 'truck' you mean the thing that attacked you."

"Yes, Charlie." She tried to sound a bit exasperated. "Edward, Jacob, and some of his friends went to try and deal with the truck."

Alice inhaled sharply. "They went out to find that thing?"

"Uh huh. I'm not sure how long it'll take."

"Bella, is Edward in danger?"

She tried to keep her voice calm. "Yes, I think so. I'm pretty sure…"

"Okay, Jasper, Esme, and I are still over an hour away, but Carlisle met up with Emmett and Rosalie, and they're already on their way back."

"Really?" She didn't know how to ask about this in veiled terms. Edward had told her that the family was all going to Seattle, as far away from the ferocious attacker as possible.

"I know what Edward said," Alice replied, understanding her friend's unspoken query. "But there's no way we'd leave you both there in a potentially dangerous situation."

"Thanks, Dad."

Alice asked, "Is there anyone _else_ with you besides Billy?"

Bella understood that she meant wolves. "Yes."

"How many of them?"

"Just one." Billy was watching her now, so she amended, "The front tire. I think the axel's bent, too."

"Okay, Emmett, Rose, and Carlisle can easily handle a single _dog_. They should be there in about fifteen minutes."

"Sounds good. I'll see you later."

"Bella," Alice said, her tone changing to a softer one, "are you okay? Carlisle told us you'd been hurt—your shoulder, right?"

"Right, okay. Yes, I will." She forced herself to smile. "Bye, Charlie." She hung up quickly. The tears prickling at her eyes this time were very real. She handed the phone back to Billy. "He says hi and thanks for keeping an eye on me. And thank you, Billy. Talking to… him helped."

"I'm glad." He wheeled over to the wall to replace the phone in its cradle. "How about I make you some tea?"

"That would be nice," she replied, knowing there was nothing she could do now but wait and hope against hope that they would be able reach Edward in time.


	7. Chapter 7

The pack surrounded Edward tightly as they sprinted through the dark, damp woods. He knew they would protect him for the moment. They needed to gather as much information as possible, as well as to finalize their strategy, before he faced the creature.

He led them to the site of the attack, where the wolves sniffed about carefully. Edward listened to their thoughts.

Paul inhaled deeply all around the truck _…can hardly pick up anything through the leech's stench, except for human blood… Bella's blood. Smells a little like you, too, Jacob. _

Jacob whuffed. _What'd you expect? I was with her all afternoon and evening!_

Sam's nose moved slowly along the embankment where Edward had been thrown. _Sickly sweet…nothing more. There's too much of your trace here. _The large, black wolf's bright amber eyes moved to Edward.

Edward examined the scene, too. Like the wolves, he had trouble discerning any distinctive scents aside from the pungent canine odor and the perfume of Bella's blood. He forced himself to walk to the truck, to place his hand over the dent where the monster had thrown Bella. This was how it had dislocated her shoulder. He could see the outline of her body in the cracked paint and damaged metal. His jaw clenched in silent fury.

Forcing himself to remain calm, Edward leaned in to take a slow, deep breath. Again he caught the noisome, musky odor of the wolves and the flowery aroma that was so uniquely Bella. But there was nothing even remotely resembling the scent imparted by his own kind. He nearly growled in frustration.

The wolves had gathered together at the side of the road. Edward attended to their thoughts again.

Sam mused, _We should try to get it into an enclosed space—at least somewhere without 360 degree exposure. If we can box it in…_

Jacob agreed immediately. _Yeah. It'll be much easier to fight it if we can all come at it at once and block its escape route. _

"That's a good idea," Edward said. "But given its strength, it's going to be hard to find anything that can contain it."

_What about stone? _Sam asked.

Edward nearly scoffed. He could dig through rock with a little effort, so the creature could surely do the same. However, he realized that there were probably no other good options. If the stone were thick enough, it would buy them some time.

"The base of the cliff at the north end of First Beach," he said quickly. "I can lead it into one of the caves. The stone walls won't contain it indefinitely; I'm sure it can dig through them. But that will take time and some effort."

_That's a remote spot, too, _Sam confirmed. _That's good. It won't put any of our people in danger, and it's far enough from town that the creature shouldn't be put off by our scent. _

"Stay at least a mile behind me," Edward instructed as he reached into his pocket for Sam's phone. He activated it then strapped it high up on the wolf's front leg. He quickly punched in the number on the phone he'd been given then hit the receive button on Sam's phone. "Okay, we should be all set now."

_We'll come as soon as the creature's found you, _Sam reassured him.

Edward nodded. "I know."

Then he darted off into the blackness, steeling himself to face the fierce attacker and stop it before it could hurt anyone else.

* * *

**Author's Note: I continue to have difficulties with posting and the site in general. Since it seems few people are reading the story, I will likely discontinue posting updates. If there is sufficient interest, I will consider continuing despite the challenges. If you don't see a new chapter within the next few days and you want to finish this story, please contact me through the link on my author page and I will gladly tell you where you can find the entire story. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Note:** My sincere thanks goes to those readers who took a moment to encourage me to continue posting here.

* * *

Bella was glad that the residents of La Push were exercising extra caution and remaining inside their homes tonight. She wasn't sure what sort of confrontation would occur when the Cullens came for her, but she certainly didn't want anyone to be harmed. She hoped that Jared would have enough sense to back off and not attempt to fight her rescuers.

As the minutes ticked by, though, she became more and more anxious. How long would it take Edward to find the creature again? How much time did she and his family really have? And how would they know where he was?

"You haven't touched your tea." Billy's voice interrupted her ruminations. "You okay, Bella?"

"Oh, I'm fine."

"I know you're worried about them—about him—but those boys know what they're doing. It's all gonna work out okay."

She nodded mechanically, her thoughts well beyond the confines of the small house. Was that a car she heard outside? It had been very quiet in the town since everyone returned from the meeting… Yes, it was definitely an engine, and a powerful one at that, coming closer. Something was speeding up the street.

Bella's heart began to pound, causing a deep throbbing in her shoulder. She realized that her entire body was tense, her limbs rigid. Slowly she pushed away the blanket covering her legs. Billy had heard the vehicle, too, and his expression showed building curiosity.

"Wonder who that could be?" he muttered. "Doesn't sound like your dad's cruiser—"

Brakes protested as the vehicle came to an abrupt stop. And then things happened very, very quickly. Bella heard a deep growl and loud voices, all three of which she recognized. The door was flung open, and Emmett's bulk filled the small room. Behind him she caught a glimpse of Carlisle's uncharacteristically dour face.

In an instant Emmett had moved to the couch to sweep her up into his arms. Carlisle was suddenly standing next to Billy, whose eyes were wide with trepidation. Before Bella could blink, she was outside and then was being deposited inside the Jeep. She tried to take in the events around her, but all she could see was a flash of Rosalie's blonde hair and a huge blur of fur. She heard a loud, pained yelp, and then Emmett and Rosalie appeared in the front seat and Carlisle slipped into the back beside her. The Jeep roared away; La Push disappeared behind them.

Bella had taken less than a dozen breaths since she'd been whisked from Billy's couch. Now she inhaled sharply. "Oh!"

Emmett was grinning at her in the rearview mirror. Rosalie sat stiffly, one hand smoothing her hair. Carlisle turned toward Bella, trying to see her face.

"Are you all right?" he asked her.

She gave a little shake of her head to clear it. "I think so. Is Jared okay?"

"Mangy mutt landed on his feet," Rose muttered with some perturbation.

"Thank you," Bella said. "Thank you for coming…"

And then the night's events seemed to catch up to her. She felt the color drain from her face as a chill slithered up her spine. In a few moments the shaking began. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stop her body from betraying her. She was all right. It was Edward who was in danger.

Emmett's usually cheerful voice sounded strangely grim as he asked anxiously, "Hey Bella, did I hurt you? I tried to be careful…"

Bella shook her head and opened her eyes. Emmett's grin had faded completely. She'd never seen him look quite so serious.

Her own voice sounded ridiculously tiny and tremulous as she replied, "No, Emmett, I'm fine."

Rosalie turned her head quickly to glance back at her, a single crease marring her perfect brow. She passed a jacket to Carlisle.

He tucked it around Bella's shoulders before taking her hand in both of his, gently resting his fingers over the fluttering beat at her wrist.

"Look at me, Bella," he said softly.

His beautiful features appeared calm, but she could see a mixture of concern and compassion in his golden eyes. He held her gaze for several long moments. She felt her breathing slow gradually as the shaking subsided.

"How…" she began, struggling to regain her voice. "How are we going to find Edward? He didn't tell me where they went."

Carlisle gave her hand a light, reassuring squeeze. "Billy told me they planned to return to the site of the attack first. We'll begin there, too."

"It's about half a mile from the treaty line," she informed them. "On the Quileute side."

Emmett nodded; apparently he was already aware of this. "We'll be there in a couple of minutes."

"Hurry, please," she said.

Emmett took her seriously, increasing his speed. She winced as the Jeep took a turn sharply, causing her body to lurch to the side. Carlisle slid his arm around her waist, holding her against him securely.

"How's the shoulder?" he asked.

It was throbbing, but Bella replied, "It's not that bad."

"I have my bag. I can give you something stronger for the pain—"

She shook her head adamantly. Pain medication meant fuzzy senses. She wouldn't risk that—not when Edward's safety was at stake. She didn't possess a vampire's strength, speed, or intelligence, but she was determined to help in whatever meager human way she could.

"I'll be fine," she said firmly.

He seemed to understand and did not press the issue. However, she could tell from his expression that he remained concerned about her. She nearly groaned in exasperation. Why on earth was he worrying about _her_? Edward was the only priority now.

"It's just up here," she said as they approached the area where she'd gotten the flat. "On the right side."

Emmett slowed the Jeep. The headlights illuminated her battered truck. There was no sign of either man or beast. The moment they came to a stop, Emmett and Carlisle flew from the vehicle, immediately searching the vicinity. Rosalie got out at a more leisurely pace, glancing once at Bella to say sharply, "Stay inside. You'll be safer in here."

She laughed humorously. "Hardly! That thing can tear a car apart in seconds."

Rosalie shrugged. "Suit yourself. But don't expect me to babysit you." She stalked off toward Emmett.

Bella climbed out of the Jeep slowly, finding her limbs heavy and unwieldy. She couldn't use her left hand, and this made her motions even more awkward. Keeping her right hand against the cool metal, she walked around to survey the scene.

Emmett and Rosalie were climbing up the bank, sniffing at the air. Carlisle was beside her truck, studying the dent in the side as he spoke into his phone. Bella's breath caught in her throat when she realized that her body had caused the damage. Her shoulder ached even more deeply.

Carlisle lifted his head to stare at her, frowning in concern. He darted over to her. However, before he could say anything, she spoke.

"They're not here." She glanced at the phone in his hand, fairly certain she knew with whom he'd been speaking. "Can Alice see where they've gone?"

"She's only getting glimpses. The wolves are fairly close to him."

"So she doesn't know where he's going?" She willed her body to suppress the shudder creeping through it.

"No," he replied with a sigh, "not definitively. But we should be able to track them. The wolves' scent is strong, and I can pick up Edward's, too. Between the three of us, I think we can follow their trail fairly accurately."

Emmett and Rosalie dashed back to join them. "They went that way," Emmett informed the group. Rose and Carlisle nodded in agreement.

"Then let's go," Bella urged.

"No way, squirt," Emmett said. "You're not coming with us. It's too dangerous."

"I'm not staying here!" she protested heatedly.

Three sets of golden eyes exchanged rapid yet meaningful glances.

"It'll be at least thirty minutes until they get here, even with Alice driving," Carlisle murmured, almost too softly for Bella to hear.

"We should have left her with the dog!" Rosalie sniped. "I told you that was the best place for her."

"We can't leave her here alone," Carlisle responded. "And I don't think we should split up. We're much safer in a group."

"I got her." Emmett lifted Bella effortlessly into his arms and began shifting her to his back.

"Watch the shoulder," Carlisle cautioned.

"Can you hang on with one arm?" Emmett asked her. "It's better if I have full access to both my arms, in case we're attacked."

"Yes, I'm fine," Bella replied.

She slid her right arm around his thick neck. His powerful hands were surprisingly gentle as he helped her to wrap her legs around his waist. She locked her feet across his solid, steel stomach.

Rosalie's expression clearly conveyed her annoyance, and Bella thought she caught a hint of jealousy. Of all the times…

Carlisle had lifted his head high, closing his eyes half-way. He inhaled deeply several times. "This way," he said and loped off into the trees.

"Hang on tight!" Emmett warned, then he was off, too, his feet flying over the ground.

Bella buried her head against his back and gripped his neck, clinging on for dear life.


	9. Chapter 9

Edward had sensed the creature distantly for some time. It had begun stalking him soon after he pulled away from the wolves. The pack was behind him, to the east; the creature was approaching from the north. Its mind was focused on following his scent while avoiding the wolves. It understood that its prey was now alone. It did not comprehend, however, that Edward was leading it into a trap.

He continued to run, concentrating more intently now on the approaching mind. He was about a mile from the base of the cliff; he would reach it within a minute. He kept the phone in one hand, speaking into it occasionally to report his location.

"I can hear it now," he said. "It's less than two miles away."

Sam chuffed in acknowledgment. The other wolves yipped and snarled lightly as they heard the update, too.

Edward continued on at the same pace. He wasn't sprinting; he maintained a steady speed purposefully. He did not want the creature to perceive that he was fleeing. That might provoke a more aggressive response. Let it believe he was simply moving, perhaps tracking his own prey. When he stopped, he hoped it would think he was feeding. That would leave him more vulnerable in its eyes.

Edward began slowing gradually as he approached his destination. Ahead he could see the swath of pale stone against the dark mountainside. He neared it, his gaze sweeping the area until he found what he wanted. There, just to the west, was a shallow cave.

In some ways, this was the ideal place to face the creature. It would only be able to come at him from the front, where he could clearly see it. Even if it moved with blinding speed, it could approach him from only one direction. That was a plus. On the minus side was the fact that he would have nowhere to run. He would not be able to dodge his attacker easily within the confined space. But once the wolves arrived, they could extract him and corner the creature effectively.

Edward's only task would be to fight it off until the pack reached him. They would need about one minute. He smiled wryly when he thought about this increment of time in human terms. To Bella, a minute seemed like a mere snippet, a handful of seconds in which little could happen. Yet it had taken much less than a minute for a van to careen toward her, threatening her life. A few seconds was all it took for him to reach her, throw her out of harm's way, and stop the vehicle from crushing her. The entire scene could have replayed a dozen times in that seemingly small span of time. For his kind, a great deal could happen in sixty seconds.

As he entered the cavern, he realized that in a single minute he could be torn to pieces many times over. But dismemberment, even an end to his existence, was a price he would willingly pay to avenge the monster that had hurt Bella and posed a threat to his family.

He pressed his back against the cool granite and steeled himself for the onslaught.

* * *

Bella's shoulder throbbed mercilessly, but she tried to ignore it. Emmett's pace was far from steady, jarring her repeatedly as he slowed, pausing to confer with Rosalie and Carlisle before continuing on. Sometimes his feet moved so swiftly that she could barely see them. But then he would come to a sudden halt, forcing her to grip onto him with her good arm and legs, pressing her body harder against him. Her shoulder objected loudly.

The fifth time that they stopped, he asked if she was all right. She could feel the cold sweat slicking her skin and knew that her face was ashen, so she kept it turned to his back and answered, with as much energy as she could muster, that she was fine.

"How much further?" she asked, her voice muffled in his sweatshirt.

"We won't know until we get there," Carlisle replied gravely.

She risked a peek at his face. He looked very serious and quite anxious. She lowered her head before he could return her gaze.

They continued on. She had lost track of time. She didn't know if they'd been running for a minute or an hour. How long did they really have? What if they were too late? Her chest felt tight and her eyes stung.

Bella clenched her teeth against the pain and murmured, "Hurry, Emmett. Please, hurry."

* * *

Edward knew when the creature was nearly upon him. He could hear the bloodlust coursing through its mind. Its sole desire, its only purpose, was to attack and kill him. He could not determine why. He wasn't sure the creature even knew. It seemed some primal drive, little more than an instinct.

"What the hell are you?" he muttered. Then, in an instant, he had lifted the phone to shout, "It's here! Come now!"

The phone flew from his hand and shattered against the stone wall as the creature shot into the cave. Edward felt the solid body collide with his own, flinging him back to land heavily on the ground. He had seen only a blur as it flew at him.

Now his own instincts kicked in. He listened intently to its thoughts, trying to determine its next move. But it didn't seem to have a strategy. He couldn't predict what it was planning. His own thoughts seemed slightly murky. He realized that his nose prickled uncomfortably, and there was vaguely nauseated tingling in the back of his throat.

He felt the creature's muscles tense over him as it prepared to lunge for him with greater force. In the instant that it coiled back, he slid from beneath it, delivering a mighty kick with his left foot. His attacker moved less than an inch. And then it sprang at him again, its hands landing heavily on his chest, throwing him back. His skull hit the wall as fragments of rock sprayed his cheeks and ears.

The creature's steel hand closed around his wrist, tugging fiercely, trying to throw him to the other side of the cave. Edward's head shot down, and his teeth clamped over skin. He bit down hard, his teeth slicing into the thing's forearm.

Immediately his mouth filled with revolting liquid. It was hot and rancid, and every instinct told him to let go, to flee. But one small part of his mind had remained rational, calculating the moments since the creature had entered the cave. They had been fighting for twelve seconds. He needed more time.

He clenched his jaw as tightly as he could even as the creature's hand closed around his neck. He could feel its fingers digging into his flesh with sufficient force to puncture his steel skin. It gave his head a mighty jerk, and Edward abruptly released its arm. He needed to pull back or else risk beheading. He wasn't ready for the latter just yet.

He leaped back, but his assailant matched his movements with lightning speed. It rammed its hand into his chest, pinning him against the wall. Its hot breath swept over his face, and he nearly retched. The stench was utterly repulsive. It seemed to cloud his vision, preventing him from seeing the predator clearly.

It didn't matter; he didn't need to see what he was doing. He brought his knees up, slamming them into the thing's hips. It stumbled back a fraction of an inch, and Edward leaped to the side. Yet before his feet touched the ground, the creature's arm shot out, its hand raking over his ribcage. Edward felt his skin split. He cried out in fury and pain.

For one instant he was distracted, glancing down to view the damage. That was all it took for the creature to throw him to the ground and slam a hand into the open wound. A sickening crack echoed through the cave as Edward's ribs snapped beneath the mighty blow.

He tried to roll to the side, to get away for even an instant, but he was pinned now. The creature's body was a steel cage enclosing him. Its hands moved up, palms beneath both jaws. The pressure increased quickly, and he knew his head would be pulled from his body in a moment.

He counted again. He had been fighting for twenty-six seconds. He felt his neck wrench sharply. Edward closed his eyes and prepared to die… or whatever it was that his kind did. Because despite what he'd told Bella, he knew this creature had the power to kill him. He only hoped that the wolves would destroy it before it could hurt anyone else.


	10. Chapter 10

"This way!" Bella heard Carlisle shout.

Emmett veered sharply to the left, and Bella's arm tightened around his neck once again. She pressed her cheek against his cold back, listening to the wind rush by. Her heartbeat was loud in her ears, punctuated by the staccato rasp of her breath. For a long time it seemed that was all she heard: rush, thump, rasp. But now a new sound was seeping through the odd cacophony. Sharp cries echoed in the distance. It took her a moment to identify the vaguely familiar sound. Wolves. Somewhere wolves were howling.

The baying grew louder quickly, and new sounds—snarling, snapping, yelps of pain—filled her ears. Very soon Bella felt Emmett come to an abrupt halt.

"Shit," he muttered. She felt him inhale abruptly.

Bella looked up. The clouds had cleared, and moonlight illuminated the scene before her. At first all she saw was the pale cliff side, but as her gaze moved about she realized that a deep shadow shrouded the area directly before her. Within the dimness, she glimpsed brief flashes of gold.

"In there!" Carlisle barked, pointing into the shadows.

Emmett's entire body tensed, and a deep growl rumbled in his chest. Rosalie flashed to his side, her hand closing over his arm.

"Wait," she cautioned, the single word heavy with meaning.

"No, we've gotta get in there!" Emmett shot back, unceremoniously lowering Bella to the ground.

This time his motions were rapid, and when her feet touched the damp earth she stumbled to maintain her balance. She was still trying to understand what was happening. She squinted into the gloom.

"Where's Edward?" she asked desperately, watching the faces of the three vampires. Their expressions reflected abject horror.

"Emmett!" she cried, tugging at his arm. "Where the hell is Edward?"

He didn't answer. In an instant he had shaken her off, sending her sprawling onto the ground as he darted forward. Releasing her grip on his arm, Rosalie she was running, too. Carlisle was already at the edge of the shadow. Suddenly Bella realized that she was looking at a cave. Edward and the wolves were inside…

Struggling to get back on her feet, her gaze remained fixed on the dim cavern. Something pale was now visible inside, and there was another flash of gold. Just as she regained her footing fully, a massive russet wolf emerged from the gloom. It was Jacob, she realized, a tiny spark of relief flickering in her chest. He was all right…

When she saw what he was dragging, however, Bella gasped. First she noticed the glint of bronze as the moonlight struck Edward's hair. His face was chalk-white, but there was a dark smear around his mouth. His eyes were closed. His limp body yielded completely to Jacob's motions as the wolf moved him outside.

"Edward!" Bella cried, stumbling forward to reach him just as Jacob released his gentle hold on Edward's shoulder.

Emmett and Carlisle were already crouched beside him. Rosalie stood a few feet away, her gaze darting between the cave and the still form lying before her. Bella fell to her knees and took Edward's hand in hers. She tried to see if he was hurt, to view whatever damage had left him so still, but tears had filled her eyes.

"Edward?" she asked. "Oh please, Edward…"

Carlisle's hands were moving over him, pausing at his chest. Bella swept her fingers over her eyes and lowered her gaze. Peripherally she was aware that the noises inside the cave were diminishing. A low, keening wail and warning growls were all she heard now.

"They've got that thing cornered," Rosalie said quickly. "It's afraid of them, but it's still fighting, still furious…"

Jacob had backed away, pausing at the mouth of the cave. Out of the corner of her eye, Bella saw his huge lupine form shifting, fur smoothing out to skin. He took several long steps then knelt behind Bella.

Without preamble, he said, "You all have to leave. Your presence is enraging it. It can't stand that you're here; it wants to attack. But it can't get past us. It's probably going to hurt one of us in its attempts, though. Get out of here."

"Let us have the body after you kill it," Emmett spat.

Jacob shook his head. "We're not gonna kill it, not unless we have to."

"Why the hell not?" Rosalie demanded. "You can see what it did to Edward! It hurt Bella, too."

"I know," Jacob replied, eyes shifting back toward the cave. "But shit, look…"

To Bella, the sight was only a flash, but she realized that the vampires had seen the thing with perfect clarity. Three Quileute wolves blocked the entrance of the cave, but behind them she caught a glimpse of another figure. Although it stood upright, light fur seemed to cover much of its body. Its face was primarily canine, with an elongated nose, flat yet prominent ears, and wide, gold eyes. But what struck Bella most—the thing that would linger in her nightmares—was its mouth. Its lips were curled back into a ferocious snarl, revealing hideously sharp, ragged teeth.

She gasped in horror as the creature lunged forward. Emmett's massive arm shot out in front of her, but it was unnecessary. The wolves responded with fierce growls as their mighty bodies pushed it back deeper into the cave.

"What the fuck _is_ that?" Emmett nearly panted.

"Something that we have to deal with," Jacob said. Then he leapt back toward the cave, his body shimmering briefly before his paws landed on the ground and he disappeared into the darkness.

"We need to go. Now," Carlisle said firmly.

"But Edward—" Bella began.

"Emmett," Carlisle instructed curtly, "you carry him. Rose, take Bella."

Rosalie did not appear particularly pleased, but she made no verbal objection. Without a word she pulled Bella away from Edward, sweeping her up onto her back. Bella watched as Emmett carefully lifted Edward's alarmingly pliable body into his arms.

"Rose," Bella said desperately, "is he dead?"

"Yes," she snapped, "just like he's been for the past ninety years."

Then Rosalie began to run, and everything became a blur. Bella knew nothing but the frigid rush of wind and the frantic thudding of her heart.


	11. Chapter 11

Rosalie's pace did not slow until they were in the driveway. Peremptorily she removed Bella from her back, leaving the human standing in the foyer on shaky legs. Bella caught a flash of Emmett disappearing up the stairs, followed closely by his wife. Carlisle must have arrived a few moments ahead of them.

Bella hurried upstairs, stumbling more than once yet determined to reach Edward as quickly as she could. Without thinking, she went to his room, but it was empty. She listened, then, hearing soft voices at the other end of the hallway.

She found them in Rose and Emmett's bedroom. Edward lay upon the large bed, one hand dangling limply from the edge of the mattress. He was utterly still, and his eyes remained closed. Emmett and Rosalie stood beside him, their fingers laced together tightly. They watched Carlisle as he bent over his son, his hands moving carefully over the motionless body.

Bella slipped into the room and hurried toward the bed. She reached out to take Edward's hand, but Rosalie stopped her.

"Wait," she said softly. Her tone was not unkind.

Carlisle glanced up then returned his attention to Edward. His shirt was ripped, shredded in places, Bella realized, and as Carlisle moved the scraps aside, she saw that something was wrong with his chest. She tried to see better, to understand what had happened.

"Oh my God!" she gasped as sudden comprehension flooded her.

She pushed past Rosalie to grasp Edward's hand. Rose did not attempt to stop her this time.

The skin over the right side of Edward's ribcage was torn, split in two and gaping open to reveal a mass of white fragments beneath. She realized she was looking at his ribs—the bones broken, probably shattered.

Her voice shook as she asked, "Is he…" She struggled to find the right word, remembering Rosalie's snarky response to her earlier question. "Is he gone?"

Carlisle answered, "No, Bella, of course not."

"But he's not moving… he's so still."

"He's in great pain," Carlisle replied. "His mind has shut down temporarily to help him deal with it. He should rouse soon."

She moved her hand up to stroke the unruly, bronze hair. "Edward, sweetheart, can you hear me?"

His eyelids fluttered, and he turned his head slightly toward her.

"That's it," she encouraged lovingly. "Open your eyes for me." She ran her fingers softly over his cheek.

"Bella?" he whispered, his eyes opening partially. "Bella, are you… all right?"

She wanted to laugh at the ludicrous question, so incongruous given his condition, but instead a sob caught in her throat. "I'm fine."

"Son," Carlisle said, "there's some damage to your ribs."

Edward's eyes opened fully, but his gaze seemed cloudy to Bella. He nodded. "I know."

Carlisle asked quietly, "Do you want to wait for the bones to set themselves, or would you like me to do it?"

Confused, Bella looked at Carlisle questioningly. However, it was Rosalie who answered her silent query.

"Our bodies will always put themselves back together," she said softly. "But it can take time. It's faster to put everything back into place ourselves—"

"But more painful in the short-term," Emmett finished.

Edward sighed then turned his face into Bella's warm, waiting palm. Lifting his hand toward Carlisle, he said, "You do it."

The older vampire clasped his hand, squeezing it softly in acknowledgment.

"Bella, it might be better if you wait outside," Carlisle suggested.

She frowned. "No, I'm staying right here. It's not like there's going to be blood… is there?" She touched the edge of the dark stain beneath Edward's bottom lip.

Emmett chuckled, and Rose elbowed him in the ribs.

"He bit that thing," Rosalie said, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "That's _its_ blood."

"Can I clean it off?" Bella asked.

"Please," Edward whispered.

In an instant Rosalie appeared at her side with a wet washcloth. Bella carefully wiped away the thick, rust-colored residue. Oddly the blood didn't bother her; she was just glad to see his beautiful, unmarred lips again.

"Tastes horrible," Edward murmured. "Thank you."

Bella sat down beside his head, resting her hand against his cheek again while Carlisle removed the torn shirt to expose his chest fully. She had to look away; the sight made her feel ill. Knowing that Edward was in pain left a deep, twisting ache in her own stomach. She reached for his hand again.

"Don't," Rosalie cautioned her. "He'll crush it."

Reluctantly, Bella returned her hand to his cheek.

"Emmett," Carlisle instructed, his voice calm and low, "he needs to remain still."

Emmett nodded and placed his huge hands on Edward's belly and shoulder. "Sorry, bro. It'll be over soon."

Edward nodded dully, keeping his eyes on Bella's face. She held his gaze and stroked his brow with her fingertips. In her peripheral vision, she saw Carlisle's hands move, and she heard strange, clacking sounds that left her cold and clammy. Edward's jaw clenched tightly, but he remained silent.

She felt his body jerk once and realized that Emmett was holding him down. Edward's fingers were clutching at the duvet, tearing the luxurious fabric. When Rosalie moved closer to the bed, Bella was afraid she was going to chastise him for ruining her linens.

Instead, she placed her hand over his forearm and said gently, "He's almost finished, Edward. Just a few moments longer…"

Then Bella saw Edward's expression relax as he drew a shallow breath. She risked a peek at his chest to see Carlisle carefully pulling the torn skin together.

"There we are," he said, laying his hand over Edward's unbeating heart. "Rest now, son, and try to remain as still as possible."

"Thank you," Edward whispered.

"He'll be all right?" Bella asked, needing confirmation.

Carlisle smiled. "Yes. He just needs a little time."

She exhaled slowly then reached for Edward's hand again. No one tried to stop her this time. "I'll be right here," she told him.

"Actually," Carlisle said, darting around the bed, "you need to come with me for a few minutes."

"No," she replied, "I'm not leaving him."

He gestured toward her neck. "You're bleeding, Bella."

Hesitantly she dropped Edward's hand to brush her fingers over the bandage. She grimaced at the crimson smear across her fingertips. Sweat broke out anew, leaving her chilled and queasy. But that didn't matter; she was resolved to remain at Edward's side until he had healed fully.

She shook her head. "I'm okay."

Edward's cold hand found hers. He gripped it weakly. "Let Carlisle take care of you, love. We need to be sure you're all right."

"But I want to stay with you," Bella protested.

Rosalie's tone was slightly sharp as she said, "You need to go with Carlisle, Bella, so he can clean you up. Esme, Alice, and Jasper will be back soon." She placed just a hint of emphasis on the final name.

Bella looked up. She could see the strain in Rosalie's face. She relented as she understood the implication. "Oh, right. Okay."

Carlisle placed a hand under her elbow, seeming to realize that she'd need help rising.

"We'll stay with him," Emmett assured her. "We'll be right here if he needs anything."

Keeping his hand at her elbow, Carlisle said, "We won't be long."

Bella permitted him to lead her from the room. She managed to keep her legs steady until they got into the hallway, then her strength failed her. Her steps faltered, and she saw the hardwood floor rising up to meet her.


	12. Chapter 12

As soon as Bella began to fall, Carlisle swept her up into his arms and whisked her off to Edward's room, placing her carefully upon the leather couch. She noticed now that his black bag sat on the floor. He settled before her on Edward's desk chair and brushed the hair away from her neck. After removing the bandage, he cleaned away the fresh blood with an alcohol wipe. It stung, and she flinched a little.

"Sorry," he said, offering her an apologetic smile. He leaned in to examine the wound more carefully, his cool fingers probing gently over the tender skin.

"Do you think it scratched me?" she asked, suddenly realizing the extent of damage the creature could have caused. If it was strong enough to tear Edward's marble flesh, it could have severed her neck with a single, well-aimed swipe. A deep shudder ran through her.

Carlisle did not miss her reaction. "I'm not sure what did this," he replied steadily. "It's not terribly deep, though. In other circumstances, I would let it heal on its own. However, if you want to stay here, it would be a good idea to close it completely with sutures."

Comprehending his meaning, she nodded her head. "Whatever you think is best."

He helped her to lean back so that she was relatively comfortable, then he suggested that she close her eyes. She complied without complaint. She felt the quick prick of a needle before numbness spread through her neck. The familiar tugging sensation told her that he was putting in the stitches. However, unlike the other time when he'd sutured her wound, they both remained quiet. Bella imagined that his mind, like hers, was occupied with thoughts of Edward.

Carlisle worked quickly. Soon he was taping a fresh bandage over the gash and depositing the used supplies in a tightly sealed container. She decided she was glad that he had numbed the area; now only her shoulder hurt.

As if responding to her thoughts, Carlisle said, "I'd like to take a look at your shoulder."

She gave a nod of acquiescence. He removed the sling and shifted Billy's oversized tee shirt aside to expose her shoulder. His cool hands moved gently over the joint and surrounding structures. He pressed his fingers over her arm in several places and asked her to move her wrist, hand, and fingers in various ways.

"Edward did an excellent job," he reported. There was a hint of pride in his voice as he added, "I couldn't have done it better myself."

"I think he was worried that he'd hurt me," Bella said. "He didn't want to do it."

"I know. He'll be relieved to hear that he performed the procedure perfectly. Your shoulder should be just fine. I'd like to get an x-ray, but that's really just as a precaution. I'm sure Edward will insist upon it, too."

"But not tonight," she said, a hint of entreaty in her voice.

"No," he agreed with an understanding nod, "not tonight. It can wait until tomorrow."

He removed an adjustable sling from his bag and carefully slid her arm into it, taking a few moments to be sure it was fitted properly to provide appropriate support.

"Thanks," she said when he'd finished. Somewhat reluctantly, she continued, "You said before—in the Jeep—that you could give me something for the pain?"

He smiled sympathetically. "Of course, dear. I imagine that Vicodin Edward gave you has nearly worn off by now."

She nodded. He searched in his bag for a few moments then darted to the bathroom for a glass of water. He handed her two tablets, which she swallowed quickly. As soon as she'd finished, he took her chin gently and checked her eyes with his penlight. Caught off guard, she blinked at the brightness. It made her head hurt a little.

"I'm okay," she said. "I don't think I hit my head…"

He smiled affably. "Humor me. Edward will rest much easier if he knows you're really all right."

Bella couldn't really argue with that. So she resigned herself to endure the examination. Carlisle's fingers explored her scalp and neck, and he asked her to lean forward so that he could lift the shirt and see her back. He pressed his cold fingers over several spots that she hadn't even realized were sore. She winced.

"You hit your truck hard," he commented as he ran his hand over her ribs. "Dislocating a shoulder takes considerable force."

"That thing's really strong."

"Yes, it is," he replied cheerlessly.

As he pulled his stethoscope from his bag, she asked, "Carlisle, what _is_ it? It looks like a wolf, but it walks upright and has arms…with claws." She gestured toward her neck.

"I honestly don't know," he said. "Quiet for just a minute, please."

Bella thought he spent longer than necessary listening to her heart and lungs. He was probably thinking, trying to figure out what sort of creature it was. It was funny, she mused: She'd accepted the existence of vampires and then werewolves, but she hadn't really thought beyond that. Were there other supernatural beasts dwelling among humans?

She waited until he'd returned the instrument to his bag before speaking again. "Do you think Sam or the elders know what it is?"

Carlisle shook his head. "I'm not sure. Jacob's comments indicated that they wouldn't kill it—I had the feeling they wanted to protect it, at least for the time being. I imagine they're trying to figure out precisely what it is, too."

"So you've never heard of anything like that?"

"No."

"Are there other…things out there, too?"

This query seemed to amuse him. His lips pulled up a little at the corners, and the crease between his eyes softened. "Not to my knowledge, Bella."

He shut his bag and glanced at the dark window. "They're coming up the drive," he informed her.

"I'd like to get back to Edward now."

Carlisle gave a nod of consent and helped her to stand. Her legs felt a little steadier now, and she was able to walk down the hall on her own, albeit slowly. She knew Edward would be pleased to see her moving without assistance.

Emmett and Rosalie remained standing by the bed. Edward turned his head to the doorway as soon as Bella and Carlisle entered. He held out his hand to her. Immediately she took it, sinking down beside him.

"Are you all right, love?" he asked her softly, but his gaze moved to Carlisle.

"She's fine," he said. "You performed the reduction perfectly. The shoulder looks good."

"Did you check for other injuries?" Edward pressed. "I didn't see anything obvious, but she took a hard blow—"

Bella lifted his hand to kiss it. "_She's_ right here," she reminded him with feigned exasperation, "and she's all right. Really."

Carlisle nodded in verification. "She's got some fairly deep bruising on her back, but there's no significant damage to her ribs, heart, or lungs. She'll be sore for awhile, but we can easily manage that with analgesics. And yes, I've already given her another dose of pain meds."

Before Edward could say anything else, Carlisle's hand shot out to rest over the gash on his chest. Bella's eyes moved down to the injury. The skin had not closed completely; she could still glimpse a hint of bone beneath the torn flesh. But the wound wasn't gaping anymore; it looked a lot better. Carlisle gently felt the underlying ribs.

"They're fusing," he reported. "I think another couple of hours, though…"

Bella shifted around so that she could place Edward's head in her lap. Leaning back against the headboard, she stroked his hair and cheeks. She didn't even realize that Emmett and Rosalie had slipped from the room until she looked up to find them gone.

"Esme, Jasper, and Alice just pulled into the garage," Carlisle informed them. "I'm going downstairs to fill them in more completely."

Alice's name prompted Bella to recall the phone call she'd made from Billy's house. "I should call my dad," she said. "He's got to be wondering where I am…" She had no idea what time it was, but she knew it was late.

Carlisle handed her his phone then slid a pillow behind her back and folded back the duvet to cover her legs. "Give him the same story you told Alice about your truck," he advised. "Tell him that Edward brought you here so that I could look at your shoulder, and that I want you to stay the night. I'll call him as soon as I can."

Bella nodded, and Edward's eyes moved up to her face to give her a questioning look.

"Rest," Carlisle instructed mildly as he turned toward the door. "Both of you."

As soon as he'd stepped out into the hallway, Edward said rather sternly, "What happened tonight? You were supposed to stay at Billy's house, where you'd be safe, but you called Alice—" He tried to push up onto his elbow, but the action seemed to cause him pain, so he relented and lay back in Bella's lap.

"Let me call Charlie, then I'll tell you," she said.

He watched her as she made the call, obviously listening to both sides of the conversation.

"Dad? I'm sorry it's so late and I haven't called…"

Charlie's tone was gruff with mild perturbation. "Bella, where are you? I thought you'd be home a couple of hours ago."

"I thought so, too, but something happened. I had a blow-out, and the truck went off the road. I lost my phone… and I hurt my shoulder—"

She could hear real concern in his voice as her father asked, "Are you all right?"

She hated to worry him further, but she knew he would find out about her shoulder eventually. Also, she needed a plausible explanation for remaining at the Cullens' house overnight.

"Don't panic, Dad, but my shoulder was dislocated. I couldn't really walk very far, so I was stuck out there in my truck for a while. Edward got worried when I didn't call him, and he came looking for me. We were a lot closer to his house than to town, and Carlisle was at home. So he brought me here and Carlisle fixed my shoulder."

"Good lord, Bells! Dislocated?"

She kept her voice calm as she told him, "Yes, it was, but it's okay now. Most of the pain went away once it was back in place, and Carlisle gave me some pills…But they're making me a little sleepy, and he wants me to stay here tonight."

"Put him on," Charlie requested.

"He's going to call you in a few minutes," she said.

Edward whispered, "Tell him Carlisle's on an emergency phone call with the hospital."

She nodded and smiled her thanks. "He just got a call from the hospital—some kind of emergency with one of his patients. He said he'll call you as soon as he's done."

She could tell that Charlie wasn't pleased, but he couldn't question Carlisle's dedication. "Okay. Are you sure you're all right? Were you hurt anywhere else besides your shoulder?"

"I got a little banged up, but nothing's broken." She made no attempt to suppress the yawn that was building.

"Try to get some rest," Charlie said. "Call me as soon as you wake up in the morning."

"I will, Dad. Good night."

"Night, Bells."

She closed the phone. That was one small chore taken care of. Now she had to deal with Edward.

Bella set the phone on the night table and waited for the question.

Instead, Edward began with a statement. "I know that Carlisle, Emmett, and Rosalie came to get you from Billy's house, and that they tracked me from the area where we were attacked. You asked them to come, didn't you?" His voice was quiet, but she could hear the anger burbling beneath the surface.

She set her jaw and replied, "Yes I did, and if I hadn't, you'd still be lying out there in the woods, all torn up."

"You knew I didn't want them to come. You knew I wanted them to stay away, to be safe—"

"But that's not what _they_ wanted! Did you know that everyone was already on their way back here when I called Alice? They had no intention of staying away. They came back to help you." Her tone grew firmer as she spoke. She was unapologetic; she knew she'd done the right thing.

Her hand found its way to his chest, where her fingers traced tentatively above the wound.

He covered her hand with his, trapping her warmth against his cold skin. He closed his eyes for a moment, then he said, "Thank you."

She smiled, a soft, poignant gesture, as a shaky little exhalation escaped her. She was terribly tired, and her entire body ached dully.

"You're exhausted," he said gently, lifting his other hand to brush his knuckles over her cheek. "Lie down, love, and sleep."

Bella found it somewhat difficult to get comfortable. She wanted desperately to curl into Edward, to wrap her body around his, but this was impossible to do without jostling her shoulder or placing any pressure on the injured joint. He needed to remain still so that his ribs and skin would continue to heal steadily and properly, but she knew he wanted to hold her, too.

Finally she settled onto her back, and he pulled a pillow down to place over his shoulder. She nestled her head into the softness and fell asleep to the soothing hum rumbling through his chest.


	13. Chapter 13

Edward could hear the entire conversation downstairs, of course. He listened to Carlisle's, Emmett's, and Rosalie's retelling of the events as they'd perceived them. He heard Esme's little gasps as his injuries were recounted then felt the relief that emanated from Jasper when Carlisle assured the group that Edward's wounds were healing.

He clenched his teeth as his father, Rosalie, and Emmett described the creature and attempted to explain its behavior. It had attacked brutally, and even Esme's gentle nature couldn't override her desire to see it stopped, to know that it would never harm anyone again.

Edward waited until there was a short lull in the conversation, then he said softly, "Carlisle, everyone, come up here. There's something you need to know."

In a few moments his entire family had surrounded the bed. Esme's hand stroked over his hair, her face pinched with distress as she saw the remnants of his wounds. She touched Bella's cheek with feather-light fingertips, assuring herself that her youngest daughter was all right. Carefully she tucked the duvet more closely around the slumbering girl.

Alice clasped Edward's hand in relief, smiling briefly at his nod of reassurance before her expression shifted as her eyes ran over Bella's pale face, disheveled hair, and bandaged neck.

"She'll be all right," Carlisle told everyone, speaking so softly that his words would be a mere whisper of breath to Bella's sleeping mind. "She's resting comfortably."

Edward could hear the steady, unhurried rhythm of Bella's heart, too, and knew his father's words were true.

"Are you in pain?" Esme asked him.

Edward shook his head. "Not much."

"To have the strength to do that to you…" Jasper mused, studying the wound thoughtfully. "You told Carlisle the creature was acting on instinct, driven by an innate hatred of our kind?"

"Yes," Edward replied. "That's all I could hear from it at first. There was so much rage, so much animosity…"

"But there was something else," Jasper surmised.

Edward nodded. "At the end, just before the wolves came, I was able to access a deeper level of its mind. Its drive to attack, to kill, isn't based on hatred. It's based on fear. It's utterly alone, completely disconnected from any other living being, and that's left it in a sort of perpetual state of panic. All it can do is lash out at those it perceives as its enemy. It doesn't understand what it is. It's completely lost."

"Edward," Carlisle said, clearly surprised by his words, "are you saying that we should feel sorry for it?"

"No, I don't think so. Believe me, I'd be last in line to give it a hug." He glanced down at his chest. "But there's an unyielding sense of isolation; it's utterly bereft." He shook his head. "Maybe the wolves can help it."

"Shit, Edward," Emmett hissed, "it tried to kill you, and it hurt Bella! So if by help you mean tear it limb from limb, then yeah, I'm all for that."

Esme placed a calming hand upon his arm but looked at Edward when she spoke. "You feel it's in pain."

Edward nodded. "A great deal. It's sort of like a wounded animal that lashes out blindly."

Rosalie's expression showed that she agreed with her husband, while Jasper remained contemplative. Alice was trying to obtain a vision, but the creature's future was tied too closely to the other wolves, or perhaps its genetic connection to them excluded it from her abilities. Either way, she could see nothing specific.

Edward watched her for a few moments, easily comprehending her frustration. "I don't think the pack will harm it," he said. "I heard a lot of surprise—even shock—in their thoughts, but they seemed more curious than vicious toward it."

"I'll call Sam," Carlisle said. "If I can't reach him, I'll try Billy. If the others are still at the cave, he may be able to speak with Jared to see what's going on."

"Call Bella's father, too," said Edward, unconsciously running his hand over her hair.

Carlisle nodded and reached for his phone, stepping out of the room so that his conversation would not disturb Bella's slumber. Rosalie and Emmett stalked out into the hall, both obviously perturbed by the knowledge that the creature was most likely still alive.

Jasper took Alice's hand and led her out to the hallway as well. Edward knew they were going to their own room, where they could talk. Both were interested in whatever information Carlisle would obtain, too.

Esme bent to kiss Edward's brow softly. "Is there anything you need, dear?" she asked quietly.

He smiled up at her, his fingers threading through Bella's hair. "I have everything I need right here, but thank you."

"Call me as soon as she wakes, and I'll bring her a warm drink and something to eat."

He nodded his gratitude then turned his head so that a few of Bella's stray strands could tickle his nose. He barely noticed Esme glide out of the room as he inhaled deeply. The canine stench still clung to Bella, and he realized now that he'd smelled it in the wound. His nose wrinkled in disgust at the thought. He breathed in again, this time focusing on the other scents: rubbing alcohol; traces of Emmett's, Rosalie's, and Carlisle's essences; and the faintest hint of her fresh, fragrant blood.

He closed his eyes and listened to the gentle, steady beating of her heart and permitted it to lull him into a calm, restful state. For the moment, that was enough.


	14. Chapter 14

Bella's deep physical and emotional exhaustion permitted her dreamless slumber. However, her mind could not fully suppress the events she'd witnessed, and she began to stir shortly after dawn. Her first thought was of Edward. He'd been hurt…

She opened her eyes, blinking in the dull light. Her head was cradled in a soft pillow, and a warm blanket was wrapped around her. She exhaled in relief when she felt the familiar, unyielding curve of Edward's arm around her hip.

"Good morning," he said quietly, rising up onto his elbow so that he could look down upon her face. "How are you feeling?"

In truth, she ached everywhere, and her shoulder was quite sore. But those minor annoyances were nothing compared to the injury he'd suffered. Her eyes swept his bare chest, her hand rising to caress his smooth, flawless skin.

"You're healed!" she exclaimed softly. Indeed, there was no trace of the horrible wound she'd seen the night before.

He smiled. "Yes. Now let's get back to you." He brushed a few strands of hair from her brow. "Tell me how you feel."

"A little sore," she replied, "but it's not too bad."

He arched a quizzical eyebrow at her, questioning the truthfulness of her response. "Bella…"

"Really, Edward, I'm okay."

He shook his head. "You look pale. You need to eat. Then I want you to have another dose of Tylenol."

She nodded, knowing that he would worry less if she ate something. He helped her to sit up, his forehead creasing when she winced a little. Further comments, however, were deferred as Esme stepped into the room.

"Good morning, honey!" she greeted. She carried a tray in her hands. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Bella replied.

Esme set the tray on the bedside table and handed Bella a glass of apple juice. "Carlisle wants you to drink this first."

Bella complied, then accepted a mug of hot cocoa. She took a sip, finding the warm, rich drink comforting. Esme and Edward watched her approvingly as she ate a piece of toast with jam and had a few forkfuls of scrambled egg. He frowned, however, when she set down her fork and handed the plate back to Esme.

"Is your stomach bothering you?" he asked. "Are you nauseated?"

"No, I'm just not that hungry," she said. "But everything tasted good," she reassured Esme. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Is there something else you'd like? I can bring you some fruit—I have apples, grapes, and bananas."

"No, thank you," Bella said. "Maybe in a little while? I sort of need a human moment now."

Esme smiled in understanding. "Of course. May I help you?"

Bella caught Edward's quick nod of gratitude so didn't protest when Esme took her arm to help her from the bed then kept a hand at her hip as they walked to the bathroom. When Bella had completed her task, Esme reappeared to wash her hand in the sink then encouraged her to sit down at the vanity so that she could wipe a warm washcloth over her face and brush out her tangled hair.

A little cleaner and less disheveled, Bella felt a bit more human—a relatively easy feat while in this house, she thought wryly, but even so... She glanced at the large bathtub wistfully.

"Alice or I can help you bathe if Carlisle says it's all right," Esme offered.

"Thanks, Esme, that would be nice."

Bella walked back into the bedroom without assistance, though Esme remained at her side. Carlisle was waiting for her, smiling in greeting as soon as he saw her. She thought, however, that she caught the flicker of a more serious look.

Edward was perched on the edge of the bed, fully dressed now. His damp hair told her that he'd showered, too. He stood to place his hand gently at her back and guide her to the bed. She sat down and answered Carlisle's questions about her level of pain as he checked her shoulder for swelling. He reported that it seemed to be healing well.

"We'll stop at the hospital to get an x-ray before we take you home," he added.

"Is that really necessary?" she asked.

Immediately Edward replied, "Yes, it is."

"I need to pick up something there anyway," Carlisle said. "It won't take long. How does your back feel?"

When Bella shifted a bit, the tenderness of several deep contusions became obvious. Suppressing a wince, she said, "Okay, I think."

"Let me take a quick look." Carlisle waited a moment for her nod then slid up her shirt. Edward leaned around so that he could see, too.

She heard him hiss in a breath. Clearly he wasn't pleased by what he saw. She twisted her head to look back at the two vampires studying her bruised flesh. Edward's and Carlisle's lips were moving, but she heard only a slight susurration.

"Hey, human in the room," she reminded them. "No super hearing or mind-reading abilities here. So tell me what's going on."

"These bruises, Bella," Edward began, resting his cold palm very lightly against one beneath her left shoulder blade. The coolness of his skin was soothing.

"They're just bruises," she said quickly. "They'll heal. It could have been a lot worse."

Instantly she regretted her words; Edward appeared stricken again. She decided the best course of action was to change the subject. She knew he would ruminate over her injuries and his self-perceived failure to protect her until she nudged his thoughts in a different direction.

She tugged the shirt down then looked at Carlisle pointedly. "So what happened to that thing? Is it still in the cave with the wolves?"

Edward's hand found hers as he sank down beside her. Carlisle passed her a glass of water and two tablets before answering her question.

After she'd swallowed the pills, he said, "The pack isn't quite sure what to do with it. They've still got it cornered in the cave… I spoke with Sam again about half an hour ago, and he told me it seems near collapse. It's terrified of them. It began to try digging out through the back wall, but they surrounded it, and finally it just sank down growling and shaking."

He sighed, and Bella could tell that the creature's behavior affected him on some level.

"So what's going to happen to it?" she asked. "Have they figured out what it is yet?"

Carlisle shook his head. "They know it's partially lupine and partially human, but it doesn't appear capable of phasing. Sam's best guess is that it's some sort of hybrid, but he's not really sure."

She didn't share Edward's particular talent, but Bella was perceptive. She read Carlisle's expression with some surprise. "You want to look at it, try to figure out what it is."

He nodded. "Perhaps if I understand its physiology better, I can find a way to help it."

"Help it?" she repeated.

Carlisle glanced at his son. "You haven't told her?"

Edward shook his head. "Not yet."

"Told me what?" Bella asked, her curiosity piqued.

Edward's thumb rubbed over the back of her hand in an unconscious gesture of comfort. However, she wasn't sure for whom it was intended. His brows knit together before he spoke.

"It's terrified," he began. "I could hear that in its thoughts. It's completely alone and has been for as long as it can remember. The absolute isolation from others of its kind has left it half-crazed, acting on instinct alone, lashing out blindly… I don't think it knows what it's doing."

The hint of compassion in his tone touched her. To feel anything other than vehemence for the thing that had attacked him, that had literally torn him apart, was astonishing. He must have heard something very distressing in its mind.

"What are you planning to do?" she asked.

Carlisle replied, "I'm going to try to tranquilize it."

"So you're going back there," she confirmed. She looked up at Edward. "Both of you?"

He nodded in response. "Jasper's going, too, to try to see if he can calm it. If he can, that will tell us something about its emotions—whether it's closer to human or canine."

She frowned in confusion. "But won't having the three of you there just enrage it further?"

"Jasper will go in first, alone," Edward explained. "He'll take the tranquilizer and give it to Sam, who will administer it. The others can subdue the creature if necessary. Once it's unconscious, Carlisle and I will go in."

"Will a tranquilizer even work on it?" she questioned.

Carlisle's lips quirked upward at the inquiry. "I'm going to prepare a fairly high dose."

"But it's so strong," she mused.

She pressed her hand over Edward's chest, thinking about his injury. The movement brought another twinge to her sore back. She'd been lucky to escape the creature with her life; if it had pushed her even a little harder or swiped its claws over her neck just a fraction deeper… She didn't realize she was biting at her lower lip until Edward touched her chin.

"Bella? Hey, what's wrong?"

She looked up at him. "Nothing, really. I was just thinking."

"Contemplating the cosmos is what it looked like," he responded with a tender smile.

With a perplexed, small shake of her head, she continued, "Why didn't it kill me?"

Edward and Carlisle were both caught off guard by her query.

"Bella," Edward began, but she held up her hand to stop him.

"No, just wait," she said. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to upset you. I know it could have been much, much worse. But think about it, Edward. It threw you what, twenty feet? And then in the cave it… it tore you open. But when it came at me, when it pushed me against my truck, it didn't use that much force. I mean, it could have easily crushed me with just one blow, but it didn't."

She heard Edward stifle a growl. Carlisle, however, appeared to understand the direction her thoughts were taking.

With a nod, he said, "You're right, Bella. Now that I've seen the evidence of its strength first-hand, it does seem somewhat curious that it wouldn't exercise it fully upon you."

"Good God, Carlisle," Edward cried, "you saw her truck! There's an outline of her body on it. And her shoulder was dislocated. And these bruises—" His hand hovered tremulously above her back.

Carlisle grasped his shoulder gently. "I'm not trying to downplay her injuries, son," he said calmly, offering Bella an apologetic smile. "I'm just attempting to understand the creature."

"Maybe it knew I wasn't that strong?" Bella suggested. "Maybe it's got some sort of innate sense about its prey?"

"That's an interesting idea," Carlisle acknowledged.

Esme's light knock at the door interrupted their conversation. "Excuse me," she said, stepping inside to rest her hand on her husband's arm, "but is it all right if Bella has a bath? I think the warm water would ease some of her soreness, and having clean hair and fresh clothes makes one feel so much better." She gave Bella a little knowing wink.

Carlisle kissed his wife's forehead then addressed Bella. "Try to keep your arm as still as possible." Looking at Esme again, he asked, "Can you have her ready to leave in half an hour?"

Esme nodded. "Of course." As she vanished into the bathroom, she called back, "Phone your father, dear. He's worried about you."

While Esme prepared the bath, Bella placed a quick call to Charlie. He was relieved to hear that she'd slept relatively well and wasn't in too much pain. She explained that Carlisle wanted to take her to the hospital for an x-ray, to which her father readily agreed.

"So I should be home by 9:30 or so," she finished.

"I can meet you at the hospital," he offered.

"No, Dad, it's all right. I don't want to be there any longer than I have to be."

"Bells, you do what Carlisle tells you!"

She sighed. "I will. I'll see you soon."

Esme returned to help Bella into the bathtub. Billy's clothes were discarded, and Alice brought clean underwear, soft sweat pants (which Bella knew cost more than her best jeans, but were admittedly very comfortable), and one of Edward's cashmere sweaters. The roominess, Alice thought, would make the garment easier for Bella to put on without jostling her arm too much.

Bella was able to run the bath sponge over herself without any trouble, and Esme shampooed her hair. Alice wrapped her in a huge bath sheet and rolled a towel around her head. Soon Bella was sitting at the vanity as Alice wielded the hair dryer. Within a few minutes, the nimble little fingers had Bella's long tresses neatly brushed and secured in a pretty twisted ponytail. Esme helped Bella to dress and return her arm to the sling.

The bandage on Bella's neck was soggy. Carlisle slipped into the bedroom to change it, taking a few moments to inspect the wound.

"It's healing well," he informed her. "I'll remove the stitches tomorrow."

Edward watched from the doorway, his expression grave. She knew he was still upset by her injuries, irrationally blaming himself. She extended her hand to him, and he darted forward to clasp it. He lifted it to his lips and pressed a soft kiss over her knuckles.

Carlisle secured a small bandage over the gash. "All set. Let's get to the hospital, then we'll take you home."

"Thanks," she said. She felt wary, though; the thought of Edward, Carlisle, and Jasper facing the creature again left her edgy.

Edward seemed to understand her anxiety. Keeping his arm securely around her as they walked downstairs, he murmured, "Everything will be fine, love. Don't worry about us."

But of course she would.


	15. Chapter 15

Edward studied the films carefully. He was relieved to see that Bella's x-rays revealed no lasting damage from her injury. Despite Carlisle's praise, he'd still worried that he'd performed the reduction improperly.

Edward and Bella had gone to Carlisle's office to wait while the x-rays were developed. The less sterile setting mitigated Bella's dislike of hospitals somewhat. She always enjoyed looking at the family photos that decorated the desk.

Carlisle joined them soon after the films were delivered. He examined the images for a few moments then grinned at Edward.

"Perfect, son," he said. "Everything looks fine, Bella."

"How long will I have to wear this?" she asked, touching the sling.

"At least a week," he replied. "The shoulder needs to remain immobile so that the muscles heal. Once that occurs, we can begin some physical therapy to help you regain full range of motion."

A frown creased Bella's pretty brow. "Will I have to come back here for that?"

Edward slid his arm around her waist, nodding subtly toward his father as soon as he heard the older vampire's thoughts.

"I think Edward can oversee your exercises," Carlisle said with a small smile. He switched off the light board then slid the x-rays back into their envelope. "I'll just drop these at the desk, then we can take you home."

"Did you get what you needed?" she asked.

He nodded, touching the small bulge in the front pocket of his blazer. "Enough to take down an elephant."

Edward could see that Bella did not find the comment humorous.

"You'll call me the minute you're done?" she entreated.

Edward kissed her crown. "Yes, love."

The drive to her house was relatively quiet. Edward and Carlisle walked her in, the doctor assuring Charlie that his daughter was fine. Still, Charlie fussed over the sling and the bandage on her neck.

"It's just a cut, Dad," Bella said.

"Couple inches higher and it could've done some serious damage," the Chief replied, frowning.

Edward heard Bella's sharp intake of breath and the rapid thudding of her heart. "Try to rest, sweetheart," he said gently. "I'll call you this afternoon."

"Promise?" she asked, her eyes conveying the gravity of her question.

He kissed her cheek. "I promise."

Carlisle had taken Charlie aside to afford the couple a few moments of privacy.

"… two Tylenol every four hours," he was instructing.

"Right, okay." Charlie twisted his head back to glance at his daughter.

"Ready, son?" Carlisle asked.

Edward nodded, giving Bella's hand a final squeeze. She mouthed, "I love you," as he turned to walk away.

* * *

Jasper met them about a mile from the cave. Carlisle handed him the tranquilizer gun that Emmett had prepared. Much as the burly vampire wanted to face the creature again, he'd acquiesced to Carlisle's and Rosalie's pleas to remain at home. On the off chance that the creature might escape, his presence with his wife, sister, and mother would be required.

Jasper darted off into the trees. Edward focused intently upon his brother's thoughts, needing to hear the entire interaction with the creature and the wolves. For his part, Jasper kept his mind completely open. Edward knew that his family members often attempted to veil their thoughts. He couldn't blame them, really; they deserved their privacy, and he tried not to be intrusive. Now, however, full access to Jasper's experience was a necessity.

Edward watched and listened as his brother dashed through the forest, slowing as he approached the cave. The creature's rapid heartbeat was audible, and it gave a sharp, angry cry. Jasper could hear it leap to its feet. The wolves moved in closer, their pulses quickening, too.

Jasper walked slowly now, emanating tranquility. As he neared the cave, he heard the creature's heartbeat slow incrementally.

A massive black wolf emerged from the cave. Jasper nodded a terse greeting toward Sam, watching with morbid fascination as the lupine form shifted back to a human one. Jasper passed the tranquilizer gun to the pack's Alpha.

"It knows you're here," Sam commented, checking the device quickly.

"Yes," Jasper agreed. "I'm sure it can sense me."

As if in response to his words, the creature howled again, its powerful jaws snapping at the animals barring its escape. Jasper focused his emotions further, permitting a wave of calm to surround him and flow outward. This time, however, the creature responded minimally. It continued snarling, growing more agitated even in the wake of Jasper's attempts at palliation.

"Do it now," Jasper said, gesturing toward the gun. "It's becoming more worked up. I'm going to step back…"

He retreated several hundred yards into the trees, listening intently. He heard Sam's footsteps as he returned to the cave, and the click as he prepared the gun. The creature continued snapping and snarling, its frenzy increasing now that Jasper's calming presence was removed. It could still smell him, though.

Jasper tensed reflexively when the gun fired. A pained yelp echoed from inside the cave, then several high-pitched canine cries followed. A second shot split the air, followed by another indignant wail and more irate growls.

Jasper strained to hear evidence that the tranquilizer had worked. The animals' heartbeats weren't audible at such a distance, so he moved closer. Once within range, he picked up five rapidly beating hearts and one functioning more slowly.

"Sam!" he called.

Several yips answered him. Had Sam phased? Jasper darted to the cave, alert for any indication that the creature remained conscious. Aside from heavy breaths and thudding hearts, he heard nothing alarming.

"Sam?" he tried again, stepping cautiously inside the cavern.

Four wolves stood in a tight circle; he couldn't see what they were shielding. The russet animal—Jacob, he recalled—raised its head to stare at him. With a harsh bark, he nodded toward the far wall.

Sam, still in human form, lay sprawled against the rock. His eyes were closed, but Jasper heard his heart beating steadily. The speed seemed slightly off to him, though. A hint of human blood tinged the air.

Jasper dashed around the wolves, lifting Sam into his arms. As they passed the circle again, Jacob took a step to the side to reveal the creature crumpled in the center. Apparently the tranquilizer had worked.

Edward watched the scene for a few more moments then spoke to Carlisle. "Sam's hurt, but the creature's sedated now. Come on!"

They ran swiftly, reaching the cliffs within a minute or so. Jasper had laid Sam on the ground about twenty feet from the cave. He had stepped back, however, due to the scent of blood clinging to the man.

Carlisle knelt beside Sam, rapidly checking his vitals then running a hand over his head and neck. Striding toward the cave, Edward listened to his father's assessment of the pack leader.

The wolves growled lowly as Edward moved gingerly into the cavern. Jasper sat down outside, concentrating on creating a calm environment once again. It was difficult for him; he had to suppress his innate response to the werewolves, but he was trying admirably.

"What happened?" Edward asked Jacob.

The wolf took a few steps toward him, looking him in the eye.

_The first round didn't seem to do anything but enrage it. It lunged for Sam and threw him back against the wall. But he managed to get in another shot before he passed out. _Glancing outside, he could see Carlisle still hunched over Sam. _Is he gonna be all right?_

"I think so," Edward replied. "Carlisle hasn't found any broken bones; if he had any, they've already healed. He's got a concussion, but it's resolving quickly, and he should regain consciousness soon."

_I don't know how long that thing's gonna be out. If Dr. Fang wants to look at it, he should probably do it soon._

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Edward nodded in agreement. "Carlisle," he said, "come in here as soon as you're finished with Sam."

Sam was beginning to stir. Carlisle helped him to sit up and lean against a mossy tree trunk. "Just rest for a little while," he advised. "Give yourself a few minutes to heal."

Still slightly groggy, Sam nodded. Carlisle retrieved his pack and dashed into the cave. The wolves moved back but maintained a vigilant stance, monitoring the creature intently for any signs that it was waking. As Carlisle dropped to his knees beside it and began his examination, Edward studied it, too.

The thing was bipedal. Its forelimbs were clearly used as arms and hands; there was no evidence that it ran upon four legs. Hair covered its entire body, thicker over the torso and somewhat sparser over the limbs and face. Still, it was much more hirsute than a human. Short claws grew from the hands and feet; Edward knew just how sharp they were. The face was the most canine feature, with an elongated snout and prominent ears: It was an odd, unsettling amalgamation of human and wolf.

Edward listened to his father's thoughts as he examined the creature's eyes. There was something abnormal about the pupil response… Carlisle assessed its reflexes, then his hands moved carefully over the being's chest and abdomen.

"Can you draw some blood?" he asked.

Edward had not forgotten the creature's vile taste, and the thought of smelling its fresh blood again was thoroughly unappealing. However, he recognized the scientific value of the analysis, so he rummaged through Carlisle's bag for an empty syringe. He chose the one with the heaviest needle then plunged it into the median cubital vein in the arm, thinking the flesh here might be slightly more pliant than that of the hands.

Immediately the stench surrounded Edward. He stopped breathing until he'd filled the syringe and wiped away the drops that welled when he removed the needle. He watched the site, wondering if the creature possessed the same rapid healing abilities as the werewolves. The tiny wound closed within a few seconds, leaving the skin unmarred. He saw no evidence of the bite he'd delivered less than twelve hours ago, either.

Carlisle had already pulled the tranquilizer darts from the creature's chest. These miniscule punctures had vanished, as well. Edward was sorely tempted to break a few fingers, all in the name of science, of course.

He dropped the syringe into the bag then sank back on his heels, observing Carlisle further. However, his own thoughts were shifting as he attempted to tap into the creature's psyche. Did it dream?

Edward required a great measure of concentration to access the murky mind. It seemed shrouded in a dark, heavy cocoon that appeared impermeable at first. But with intense focus he slipped through, reaching a deeper level of its consciousness. It was, in fact, dreaming. He saw images of the wolves and flashes of his own face as it seemed to recall their fight. Yet at some level it was aware of the hands that probed over its body. It was trying to process the sensations, make sense of them, hone in on them and…

Abruptly, the thoughts and memories shifted. The creature was back in the woods, running toward a scent it could not resist. Edward recognized his own unique smell. His eyes shut and his hands pressed against his temples as he watched himself hurled through the air. He heard Bella call his name, just a murmur of strange, unintelligible noise to the creature. Yet the tone caught the thing's attention. For an instant it paused, its eyes quickly appraising her, and then it shot forward, wrapping its hand around her shoulder—

Edward didn't realize that he'd cried out until he felt Carlisle's fingers gripping his arm.

"Edward!" His father's voice bordered on urgent. "What's the matter, son?"

Edward forced his thoughts back to the present, inhaling deeply to gather the pungent, loathsome odors in the cave. They jolted him back to reality. He shook his head fiercely.

"I know something about it now," he said hastily, jerking to his feet.

"I know quite a bit about it, too," Carlisle responded. "But it's beginning to wake; it burned through the ketamine extremely fast. We need to get out of here."

Hastily he packed his bag and nodded toward the wolves. They moved in to surround the creature again. Sam was standing just inside the cave, ready to phase but pausing to speak with Carlisle.

"Do you know what it is?" he asked.

"Not entirely," Carlisle replied, "but I have a theory, and I hope to have some more definitive information soon. Call me this afternoon."

"Fine," Sam said, phasing immediately so that he could join his pack in the circle.

Jasper stood near the tree line. Carlisle and Edward reached him quickly, and the three vampires hurried away. There was no point in further incensing the creature when it awoke.

They slowed their pace as they reached the edge of the reservation. Edward's mind was almost entirely preoccupied with his own thoughts; he'd paid little attention to his father's or brother's musings.

Jasper caught Edward's arm, stopping him. "What's bothering you so much?" he asked with concern. "What did you hear in its mind?"

Edward ran a hand through his hair. "It was remembering Bella," he said. "I think it…" He drew an unsteady breath. "I think it wanted something from her."


	16. Chapter 16

Bella had been restless since returning home. Charlie's efforts to feed her soup and coax her into a nap had failed; her anxiety persisted. He assumed it was due to the pain from her injury, and she did not correct him.

"Maybe I should call Carlisle and see if he'll call in a prescription for something a little stronger," Charlie fretted.

"No, Dad, it's okay," Bella replied. She knew Carlisle would be unreachable, sparking some vague speculation from Charlie. She didn't have the energy to deal with that just now.

So she tried to act a bit calmer, a little less distracted. However, when the phone rang just after noon, her heart began racing. She had to force herself to remain seated on the couch while Charlie ambled to the kitchen to answer.

She strained to hear his words. His tone was friendly; he was not speaking with Edward. Bella sighed.

"It's for you," her father said, bringing the phone to the couch.

Surprised, she reached for it. "Hello?"

"Bella," Alice began, her voice lacking its usual musical tones.

Bella's heart stuttered again. Why was Alice calling her? Had something gone wrong?

"What's happened?" she asked quietly. "Where's Edward?"

"He's heading back home now with Jasper and Carlisle. They're okay. I couldn't see what happened with the wolves, but I don't think anyone was hurt."

Bella exhaled in relief. "Thank you, Alice."

"I think you should come over," she replied, still somewhat somber. "Can you make an excuse to Charlie?"

"Yes, of course."

"Good. I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

Bella set the phone beside her on the couch. "Dad," she began, hesitating for a moment to come up with a plausible reason for returning to the Cullens' house. She twisted her fingers into her braid, loosening a few strands of hair.

"What's up?" he replied. "You want to try some more soup?"

"Not right now. Actually, I could really use a shower." Fortunately her father was not observant enough to notice that she'd bathed only hours ago.

"Um, okay…"

"I can't really do it myself," she continued, gesturing toward the sling. "I'm not supposed to move my arm."

Charlie's expression reflected building discomfort.

"But Alice said she can come over and help me," Bella finished quickly.

Relief evident in his tone, he said, "Oh! That'd be great."

"Yeah. That's why she was calling—to see if I needed anything."

"She's a nice girl."

"She is." Bella paused for effect, shaking her head wistfully. "You should see her bathroom! She's got this tub with Jacuzzi jets..." She rubbed at her shoulder a little.

It took a few moments for the information to coalesce in Charlie's mind, but he finally said, "Do you think she'd let you use it? That'd probably help your shoulder a lot."

"I could ask…She probably wouldn't mind…"

Alice had foreseen the conversation, of course, so within a few minutes of her arrival it had been decided that Bella would go home with her.

"Would you mind if she spent the night again?" Alice asked Charlie, beaming her most charming smile.

"Um—if it's not an imposition," he answered.

"Oh, not at all! We love having her. Esme's making a big pot of soup." She grinned at Bella. "It's minestrone, with lots of garlic. Your favorite!"

"Better than the stuff from a can," Charlie muttered, glancing at the nearly full bowl on the coffee table.

"It was good," Bella said quickly. "I'm just not that hungry. I think my stomach's a little off from all the Tylenol…"

"Is your father going to be home?" Charlie asked Alice.

She nodded. "He has the day off."

"Ask him about your stomach, Bells," Charlie instructed. "I knew that Tylenol wasn't working right."

"Okay," she agreed.

"I'll get your stuff from upstairs," Alice volunteered, skipping off in an instant to gather Bella's toiletries and some clothing.

"I feel like I'm not taking very good care of you," Charlie said, his voice slightly gruff with apology.

"Oh, not at all, Dad!" Bella responded sincerely. "You've been great. But I do need some help with stuff." She touched the sling again. "And Alice and Esme are really nice about that sort of thing."

Alice returned carrying a small gym bag. "Okay, I've got your bathroom things, your PJs, and a change of clothes. Anything else you'll need?"

Bella knew she wouldn't even need what was in the bag; Alice would provide every imaginable item and then some. "No, that sounds fine."

Alice took Bella's arm and helped her to stand. "We'll take good care of her!" she chirped.

Charlie nodded. "Thanks. Call me tonight, Bells."

She smiled. "I will."

Alice looped her arm through Bella's and led her out the door. Charlie stood blinking in their wake.

"You dazzled him!" Bella whispered the accusation to her friend.

With a shrug, Alice replied, "Maybe just a little."

She'd driven the Mercedes. She got Bella settled in the passenger seat then quickly slid in behind the wheel.

"Okay," Bella said as soon as the doors were closed, "now tell me exactly what's going on."

Alice glanced at her as she pulled into the street. "I don't know, specifically, but I saw that you should be at the house. They'll be back by the time we get there. We'll find out more when we see them."

And that was as far as Alice's premonition appeared to go. For the moment, Bella had to be content knowing that Edward, Carlisle, and Jasper were safe.

* * *

True to Alice's word, the entire family was home when they arrived. Despite the diminutive vampire's assurances to Bella, her relief at seeing Jasper was almost palpable. Alice launched herself at him, nuzzling into his neck as his arms wrapped tightly around her.

Esme and Carlisle were standing together, his arm looped around her waist. He and Edward had been speaking intently, but Bella's arrival interrupted their conversation.

"Alice?" Edward questioned, moving quickly to Bella's side. "What's going on? Why did you bring her back?" As he spoke, his hand cupped her cheek tenderly, and his gaze met hers. "Are you all right, love?"

As Bella nodded, Alice lifted her head from Jasper's shoulder. "I thought she should be here with us."

Edward's brow creased as he attempted to filter through his sister's thoughts. He muttered, "That's subjective."

"What do you mean?" Bella asked.

Edward did not reply immediately, so she looked at Jasper and then to Carlisle. Their expressions were unreadable.

"Edward?" she questioned. "Does this have something to do with the creature? What did you find out about it?"

Carlisle replied first. "We're still piecing together the information. If you'll excuse me, I have some analyses to complete." He was gone in an instant.

"Were you able to get near it? Did the tranquilizer work?" Bella asked.

Edward nodded rather woodenly. "Yes. Carlisle examined it, and we got a blood sample. That's what he's working on now."

"So it went all right? There weren't any problems?"

"Sam was hurt," Edward replied, quickly adding, "but he's fine now."

Suddenly Bella was afraid that his slight reticence was due to an attempt to shield her from distressing news. "And the others?" she asked pointedly.

"Fine. Everyone's fine, Bella." He hugged her carefully, resting his hand over her head.

"But something's wrong," she pressed. She could see it in his eyes.

"We just don't know exactly what the creature is. We were hoping that things would be clearer after we had a look at it…" He shook his head.

"So you still don't know how to help it," she finished. "You heard its pain again."

He nodded slowly. "Yes, I did."

Bella still felt there was something he wasn't telling her. But she decided not to press him. She knew he was conflicted, still harboring anger over the creature's attack while reluctantly feeling some sense of sympathy for it.

She leaned her head against his solid chest. "You'll figure out something," she murmured. "You'll help it somehow."


	17. Chapter 17

Bella's statement elicited a sharp inhalation from Alice. However, Edward was not able to see anything clearly in her mind. He suspected she was blurring the images intentionally, but a pointed look at her elicited no further information.

Unsettled by the murkiness of Alice's visions, Edward slid his hand down to rest against the small of Bella's back, needing to feel the warmth of her skin. He gently nudged her to walk with him. With one final questioning glance at Alice, he led Bella into the living room and settled her in his lap. Alice and Jasper slipped out the back door.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, tilting up Bella's chin so that he could kiss her nose lightly.

"Not really."

"How does your shoulder feel? Are you sore? When was your last dose of Tylenol?"

Bella blinked at him. "Slow down, Edward! I can hardly understand you."

Had he been speaking too quickly? Modulating his words, he said, "I'm sorry. I just… it's hard to see you hurt."

"I'm okay. The pain's really not that bad." Her small hand caressed his cheek comfortingly.

"I'm glad."

She snuggled into him then said, "So tell me exactly what happened at the cave. Was Jasper able to calm that thing at all?"

Edward suppressed a sigh and began speaking, providing a slightly edited version of the events. There was one part he had no absolutely no intention of sharing with her.

* * *

Esme persuaded Bella to eat a grilled cheese sandwich as a late lunch. Edward watched her as she ate, somewhat relieved to see a hint of color returning to her pale cheeks. He was aware of the other sounds within the house, too, of course.

Rosalie and Emmett were scouring through recent news reports on the off chance that the creature had been spotted elsewhere. Edward felt certain that this was not the case, but it gave them something to do, so he remained silent about the futility of their task. Jasper had gone to Carlisle's study to talk to him; they had been conversing for the past half hour. Alice was preparing Edward's room for Bella, setting out several sets of nightwear and towels and arranging dozens of bath and beauty products in his bathroom.

Edward was urging Bella to finish the other half of her sandwich and the glass of milk he'd poured when Esme slipped out of the room. He was vaguely aware that Carlisle had called her, but his thoughts were focused on Bella.

So when Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, and Alice all returned to gather around the kitchen island, he was caught slightly off-guard. He wondered for an instant if they'd shielded their thoughts from him…

Carlisle had information to share about the creature. He called Rosalie and Emmett to join them.

Emmett asked his father, "So what'd you find out about that thing? No one else has seen it, as far as we can tell. There weren't any sightings reported in any Pacific Northwest or BC newspapers."

Carlisle nodded in acknowledgment before speaking. "The blood I analyzed has both human and canine characteristics, but the human antigens are more prominent. There are also high levels of several hormones typically produced in response to extreme physical exertion. My best guess is that the creature is a shape-shifter permanently stuck in a sort of half-phased form. Its physical features, too, lend credence to this theory."

"But it's stronger and faster than the wolves," Jasper pointed out.

"Yes," Carlisle agreed, "it appears to be. I suspect that much of the extreme energy generated when the human phases to wolf is trapped in this form."

"Which might explain why its thoughts and emotions are so raw," Jasper mused. He looked at Edward. "Have you ever listened to one of the pack as he was phasing?"

Edward nodded. "There seems to be a split second in which the bodies and minds are in between states… There's a sort of blankness then. It's extremely transitory, though."

"So this thing is stuck," Emmett confirmed. "It can't phase in either direction. But what I don't get is why it's terrified of the wolves if it's part wolf itself."

"Sometimes we're scared of what we can't face in ourselves," Bella said quietly. "That's just human nature."

"Thank you for reminding us of that," Carlisle said with a small smile. "I think that's a plausible explanation. The human part of it can't sort through its emotions. It just acts on instinct."

"So in a way, it's sort of like a newborn vampire," Jasper added. Then, looking at Edward again, he said, "You felt it was completely alone—you heard a frightening sense of isolation in its thoughts. Maybe that's why it's trapped in this state. When it phased the first time, there was no one to guide it, to explain what was happening and to help it complete the process. Maybe it phased fully but got stuck as at attempted to change back to its human form?"

"That's a possibility," Carlisle agreed. "But I think there's a little more to it than that. Based on what I could determine from a neurological exam and Edward's information about its mind, it appears to have organic damage to the occipital and frontal lobes."

Bella was listening intently. However, Edward could tell that this last bit of information held little significance for her. He explained briefly, "The occipital lobe is responsible for interpreting visual stimuli, and the frontal lobe controls personality, behavior, and emotions."

Carlisle nodded. "I suspect that the peristriate region of the occipital lobe is overly developed—accounting for the creature's exceptional visuospatial processing and discrimination of movement. It's possible that this excess expansion may be acting like a tumor, suppressing the areas responsible for visual memory. I would guess that the frontal lobe damage is contained primarily in the anterior region, which would explain the extreme aggression." He shrugged. "Of course, this is all speculation without a CAT scan, and we all know _that's_ not possible." He chuckled wryly.

Bella's expression showed that she was analyzing the information. "So if I understand this correctly," she began, "the creature has really excellent spatial skills, but it can't remember what it sees, and its personality—maybe its sense of who it is—is damaged, too. Maybe that's why it's stuck in this half-state. Maybe it doesn't know what it's supposed to change back _into_."

"Fascinating," Carlisle murmured, impressed with her thinking. "That's an excellent theory, Bella."

She held up her hand, signaling that she had more to say. "And it might explain something that we wondered about," she continued. "It didn't make any sense that its attack on me was so half-hearted."

Edward drew in a sharp breath. A dislocated shoulder did not seem half-hearted to him. But Bella did have a point. The creature clearly had refrained from using its full strength on her. He already suspected why. He cringed internally as he waited for her to finish her thoughts.

"Maybe," she said, her brow wrinkling in concentration, "it wasn't _attacking_ me. Maybe it was trying to see me, to study me, to understand what I am."

"But it hurt you!" Edward remonstrated; someone needed to remind her of that very critical fact.

"I know," she replied, "but it probably didn't mean to. I think it was trying to remember what it's supposed to change back into."

Rosalie had remained silent, arms crossed tightly over her chest with a mildly offended expression on her face. Now, however, she spoke with some vehemence. "Boo hoo! Poor thing's having a personality crisis… But let's not forget that it tried to kill Edward. It ripped a hole in him and crushed his ribs. It would have done much worse if the wolves hadn't stopped it. Before anyone feels too sorry for it, just remember what it did!"

Emmett nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Knowing why doesn't excuse it."

"No," Jasper said, "but the thing is terrified; it's in turmoil. The pack is, too. They're all completely conflicted about what to do with it. They feel a sense of responsibility for it—they see it as one of their own—yet they're starting to experience hopelessness, too."

"What have they been thinking, Edward?" Carlisle asked.

Edward replied, "Pretty much what Jasper said. At some level, they all feel a bond with it; that's almost instinctual for them. They believe it shares common ancestry with them, too—probably one of its ancestors was the unacknowledged child of Ephraim Black or one of his brothers."

"But he's not from La Push," Bella reflected, "or any of the other nearby reservations. They'd know if someone had disappeared from there. Maybe he was living in Alaska? Maybe he inadvertently crossed paths with one of your friends up there at some point, and that's when he phased."

It did not slip Edward's attention that Bella had begun referring to the creature using a more definite, masculine pronoun. He did not like that she was now thinking of it as something akin to human.

Esme spoke for the first time. "How do you suppose its brain was injured?"

Carlisle wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her into him. "It's possible that the initial phasing episode went wrong. If his lineage wasn't as strong as the rest of the pack's, perhaps his body didn't withstand the change as well as theirs—"

Carlisle's phone chirped. He glanced at it quickly. "It's Sam," he said, walking into the dining room to take the call.

Edward listened to the brief conversation. "He's asked to come here," he said succinctly. "He wants to hear what Carlisle's learned and talk to us. Carlisle has agreed."

"Is he coming alone?" Bella asked. Edward knew she was thinking of Jacob.

"Yes," he answered. "The rest of the pack needs to stay and guard the creature."

Esme darted out of the kitchen, commenting, "I'll get him something to wear."

The clan moved out to the front porch to wait for Sam. No one relished the thought of canine stench lingering inside the house…

The family members were all somewhat tense, but Edward's posture was rigid.

Bella saw how anxious he appeared, although he was sure she didn't understand the source of his agitation. He encircled her in his arms protectively.

She smiled up at him and whispered, "Don't worry, Edward. You can trust Sam; he's a good guy."

"It's not Sam I'm worried about," he muttered.

Seven sensitive noses wrinkled in innate distaste as the huge wolf approached the property. He loped up the driveway, slowing as he neared the waiting group. Esme gestured to the shirt and pants she'd set on the steps.

"Those are for you," she said, clearly uncomfortable in his presence but wishing to convey that he was welcome—at least for the moment.

The wolf's massive jaws closed around the garments, then he vanished behind the house. Less than a minute later, Sam walked back onto the porch.

With a nod, he thanked Esme. But his thoughts were centered on the problem at hand. Edward closed his eyes as the last few hours ran through Sam's mind.

Carlisle spoke first, easily reading the distress in Sam's expression. "What's happened?"

Sam replied, "He's becoming more and more upset. It's almost as if he's in pain now, and we're all beginning to feel it."

"He shares your pack mind?" Carlisle questioned, clearly curious.

"In a way," Sam said. "It's not the same as with the rest of us, though. We can't hear his thoughts or even see most of his memories, but we can feel his emotions. It's grown stronger during the course of the day." He paced a few steps, running a hand through his hair. "It's affecting us—making us all edgy, stirring up our emotions, too."

"You've begun to fight among yourselves," Edward clarified.

Sam nodded. "Quil and Embry want to put him back in the wilderness—take him over the Canadian border and release him deep in the forest. Jared and Paul think the only humane thing to do is to kill him. They can't stand his misery but don't feel it's safe to let him go."

"What does Jacob want to do?" Bella asked softly.

"Jacob and I want to help him, but we don't know how. We've been trying to get him to phase back to human, but it's not working at all. We're not even sure he's _able_ to do that. It's like he's at the point where he's almost phased to wolf form but he's not all the way there yet… We think that's why his mind and emotions are so messed up."

Carlisle nodded. "We agree with you. We believe he's stuck in his current form without the proper knowledge to phase back to a human. I suspect he's suffered some sort of neurological damage that prevents him from accessing the part of his mind necessary to return to human form."

Alice's light voice chimed in, "Bella thinks he wasn't trying to attack her—he wanted to study her, see exactly what she was, maybe to help himself remember."

Edward frowned at his diminutive sister. A vision was forming in her mind, but she immediately obscured it with images of wedding lingerie. She knew he wouldn't keep looking… She was hiding something from him.

Sam considered her words for a moment. "That's a really interesting idea. When we phase back to human, it's a conscious decision. We have to think about it, focus on our human form—"

"Visualize it?" Bella prompted.

"Yes," Sam agreed, "among other things. It's sort of a combination of seeing what we want to become and tapping into that part of ourselves that's human, pulling us back…"

"And the creature can't do that," Bella finished. "It doesn't remember what being human is."

"Can you quantify that?" Carlisle asked Sam, then, in response to his slightly confused look, he specified, "Describe how you find that human part. What does it involve?"

Still unable to access Alice's premonition, Edward focused intently on Sam's mind as the pack leader imagined phasing from canine to man. He listened quietly to Sam's description.

"It involves identifying the scent, the sensations, the feel of our human skin… We have to see, smell, hear, and feel all of those differences between the wolf and human form, I suppose."

"And if you couldn't do that," Bella said, "if you didn't know what those sensations and images were, you wouldn't be able to change back."

Thoughtful for a moment, Sam responded, "No, we probably wouldn't."

"The first time a young man phases," Carlisle posed, "does he need help returning to human form?"

Sam chuckled darkly. "There was no one to help _me _the first time… and it was rough. It took me a long time to change back. With the others, I've been there to guide them through, to show them what to focus on."

"You talked 'em down," Emmett summarized.

"Yeah, I guess so," Sam agreed.

"But if they didn't understand your language," Bella said, "you couldn't do that."

Sam shrugged in agreement, recalling his recent efforts in the cave. "Talking hasn't helped him. And I've phased twice in front of him, hoping he could understand by watching, but so far it hasn't worked."

"Has he seemed interested, though?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes," Sam replied. "He definitely observed the process, but both times I felt like it was too foreign or something. It was almost like he couldn't quite relate to it. I'm not sure how to explain it."

Abruptly, Edward caught a snatch of Alice's vision; she was permitting him to see a part of it now. He braced himself for words Bella would soon speak. He knew where they would lead; the destination felt inexorable. His hand tightened over her hip.

"Maybe he needs a model who's purely human," Bella suggested almost off-handedly. "Maybe he's not exactly the same as you are genetically—maybe he's closer to human and needs an exclusively human scent—"

"Of course!" Carlisle interjected excitedly. "The olfactory bulb sits beneath the frontal cortex. It's closely connected with memory function. Bella, I think the creature was trying to obtain and analyze your scent. That's what it needs to change back to human."

Edward's jaw clenched tightly. Taking Bella's face gently in his hands, he said to her, "But it's not _your_ responsibility. This has nothing to do with you."

Sam sighed heavily; his emotional and physical exhaustion were evident. "We're going to have to decide something soon. The pack's close to fighting as it is. I'm really afraid they might turn on each other."

"That can't happen—can it?" Bella asked, surprised.

Sam shrugged tiredly. "It's about to. Extreme stress and all the violent emotion echoing through that cave are taking their toll. I don't know how long I can hold us all together."

"We'd be glad to take care of it for you," Rosalie said, her tone flinty.

Emmett nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah. No problem."

Bella's small, warm hand clasped Edward's stony wrist. She gave him a significant look, tacitly asking for a few moments of his indulgence. He closed his eyes and turned his head away.

"Is there any chance," she began, hesitant at first, "that he could be tranquilized again, but not as deeply? So that he could remain conscious but be sort of subdued? Jasper could help, too… Then maybe I could approach him and let him see and smell me."

"No," Edward hissed immediately, glaring down at Bella. "That is out of the question. I won't allow it." His arms closed protectively around her small body.

Disregarding Edward's vehement objection, Sam turned to Carlisle. "Is that possible? Is there something we could give him that would have a calming effect without altering his mind?"

"Carlisle," Edward adjured, "you can't even consider it!"

Carlisle shook his head minutely. Within his mind, Edward heard his compassion for the creature whose suffering he wished to assuage.

Directing his words to Sam, Carlisle said, "It's a possibility." Before Edward could protest again, he added, "A lower dose of ketamine, then Jasper's influence, might keep him calm enough for Bella to get near him safely for a few moments."

"Absolutely not!" Edward cried. "It's too dangerous. We don't know how that thing will react. No one can guarantee her safety. It's absurd to even consider this!"

Bella turned in his arms, pressing her hand over his still heart. He could feel the heat of her skin and the gentle pulsing of the blood in her veins. She was so alive, so bright and effervescent. Her expression was earnest as she looked into his eyes.

"Bella, please," he entreated, "don't even think about doing this. One touch, a single brush of its hand, could kill you."

"I don't think he will," she replied softly. "I really believe he only wanted to study me before; he wasn't trying to hurt me."

"But it did!" he nearly spat.

"The wolves will be right there, ready to step in instantly if anything happens," she said, glancing at Sam for confirmation.

"But why?" Edward importuned, all sympathetic thoughts toward the creature vanishing in the face of Bella's suggestion. "Why would you want to do this? What on earth could make you want to help this thing? Have you forgotten that it tried to kill me?" He hated to play that card, but she'd left him little recourse.

Her eyes were bright now, quickly filling with tears. "No, of course not," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her hand closed into a fist against his chest, and she took a shuddering breath. As she exhaled, her expression tightened with determination. "But I think this is something I have to do. It's one thing that, as a human, I _can_ do."

"But you don't have to! There's no reason to feel any obligation to this creature."

Yet at some level he understood her reasoning, and he knew he had played a part in it. He had exposed her to his world, shown her beings that transcended humanity. She wanted desperately to be a part of that. He'd delayed her change, her chance to join the immortal sphere, to offer her more time to experience human life. Among all those gathered here and those huddled in the cave, she was the only one who possessed the unique characteristics to complete this singular, terrible task. It was her chance to do something significant, something preternaturally powerful.

"I can't risk losing you," he said brokenly, his fingers stroking her soft, rosy cheek.

"You won't." She nuzzled into him. "I promise, you won't."

He looked up, his wide eyes catching his father's concerned gaze. "Is it possible?" he whispered. "Can it be done?"

Carlisle nodded solemnly. "Yes, I believe it can."

Edward closed his eyes and pressed a slow, lingering kiss to Bella's brow. His voice was husky as he murmured, "I hope to God you're right."


	18. Chapter 18

Bella understood that Edward was deeply worried about her and upset by her decision. Still, she wasn't pleased to see him direct his emotional turmoil at Alice.

"You saw this coming!" he accused his diminutive sister hotly. "You should have told me. You should never have brought her here!"

Unfazed, Alice stood her ground. "I just did what my vision showed me," she replied. "And I didn't see her plan until just before she said it. It was obviously a last-second thought for her. All I saw was that she should be here when we met with Sam."

Edward's jaw tightened. Bella was certain he would have cracked a tooth or two if he were human. "And what do you see now?" he nearly hissed.

Alice shook her head. "The wolves are too involved for me to get a clear picture."

"Then look further—look ahead a few days," he said, his voice dropping as he considered the possibility that she would find the future devoid of the one dearest to him.

Bella stepped toward Alice and took her hand. "Stop it, Edward," she admonished gently. "This isn't her fault. It's my decision."

Edward's brows drew together. "But if she hadn't brought you here, if you hadn't heard our conversation, you'd never have thought of this preposterous plan."

"You're the one who first suggested that we should try to help him," she reminded him. "I think it's what's supposed to happen, what I'm supposed to do."

Alice wrapped an affectionate arm around her waist, agreeing, "It is. I just know it is."

"But you don't know!" Edward protested. "I can see that everything's still murky."

"Well," Alice replied, "there are still decisions to be made. You should go and discuss the drug and dosage with Carlisle. You're going to help him get it just right."

He relented with a muttered "fine," but Bella felt his acquiescence was only temporary. He offered her one final, pleading look as he turned to walk away.

"It's going to be all right," she said, clasping Alice's hand more firmly.

She ignored the hard shake of Edward's head as he left the room. Alice was watching her intently, obviously eager to ask her something.

"What is it?" she prompted.

"I was just wondering _why_," Alice answered.

"Why I'm doing this?" Bella led Alice to the couch so that they could sit down. "It's because I'm the only one who can."

Alice nodded. "I know, I get that. But that creature did hurt Edward—"

"I won't forget that," Bella interjected softly, "ever. A part of me is furious about that and always will be. Seeing Edward so still, with that horrible, gaping hole…" Her stomach twisted, leaving her cold. "But this is about more than just Edward and me. The creature's suffering is affecting the entire pack. For them to come to blows, things must be really intense. I can't let that happen to them."

"So part of this is because of Jacob," Alice surmised.

"Yes. But it's about all of them, really. They've been good friends to me, and I don't want to see any of them hurt, Jacob most of all. I've already hurt him more than I want to admit…"

"Bella," Alice said sincerely, "you know that's not your fault. You don't feel about him the way he feels about you."

Bella sighed. "I don't really have the energy to rehash all of that right now. I just know that what I'm doing is a way to help the pack, as well as the creature. I can ease their suffering and maybe repay a little of what they've done for me."

"You shouldn't do this out of a sense of obligation," Alice said frankly. "Everything they've done for you has been their choice."

"I realize that."

"So…"

"Are you trying to talk me out of it?" Bella offered her friend a wry smile.

"I just want to be sure you're seeing it from all sides."

"I am." She hugged Alice. "Thanks."

Alice flopped back against the cushions. "Okay. So what do we need to do to prepare?" Her gaze flicked over Bella's attire.

"We don't need new clothes!"

"Actually, we might," Alice replied contemplatively. "You've been around all of us and picked up our scent, and probably a little of Sam's, too. I think you should change into something else, something steeped in your own scent, just before you go to the creature. Picking up your scent as you approach might help it to be calmer and more focused on you."

"That's a good idea," Bella agreed. "But I'll have to go back home to get something."

Alice nodded. "Probably something out of your laundry basket would be best—unless you were with Edward when you wore it."

They spent a few minutes discussing the optimum way to ensure that her scent was strongest when she faced the creature again. Edward and Carlisle appeared toward the end of their conversation. Edward's expression was stony; the elder vampire's was contemplative.

"Excellent thinking, Alice," Carlisle commented, clearly aware of their discussion.

Edward's frown deepened despite the comforting presence of his father's hand on his arm. "You're tempting fate," he muttered darkly.

Ignoring her testy brother, Alice asked, "Did you figure out the best way to drug him?"

Carlisle replied, "We believe so. Edward and I both looked over his blood chemistry carefully. I'm going to adjust the dosage of the ketamine and add a secondary sedative that should keep him somewhat calmer."

"I still think a paralytic is necessary," Edward said.

Carlisle shook his head in mild disagreement. "It might prevent him from phasing."

Pulling Bella into his arms, Edward retorted, "And it might also prevent him from attacking."

"I trust you," Bella said, laying her hand against his cheek then glancing at Carlisle. "Both of you. I know you'll get it right. And I won't go into the cave until Sam tells me the creature's sedated."

Edward's jaw tightened again. He tucked her head beneath his chin and slid a hand gently into her hair. "The worst of it is that I can't be there with you," he murmured.

"You won't be far," she responded softly.

"Far enough to worry," he said. "And too far to reach you quickly."

An ironic grin tugged at Bella's lips at Edward's use of the term 'quickly.' But she knew he had a point. The few seconds it would require him to dash to the cave were sufficient for the creature to inflict severe damage to her… But it wouldn't come to that. She felt certain he wouldn't try to hurt her.

"I need to stop at the hospital," Carlisle was saying. "I can drop you at your house on the way, then pick you up when I'm finished."

Bella realized he was speaking to her. "Oh, sure," she replied somewhat absently. Her thoughts were elsewhere.

Edward's fingers traced along the edge of her sling. He studied her face carefully. "How's your pain? You look pale."

Her shoulder and back were sore, but the discomfort was tolerable. If he hadn't brought it up, it would have simply been a minor, lingering irritation. She narrowed her eyes at him, suddenly realizing what he was trying to do.

"I'm fine," she said firmly. "It hardly hurts at all." Preemptively, she added, "And I'm not tired."

"Even so, I think you should have another dose of medication," he said, looking a bit too innocent.

Alice clicked her tongue sharply, shooting her brother an accusatory look as a vision flashed through her mind.

Taking a step back, Bella lifted her chin and met his gaze steadily. Knowing full well that he was considering drugging her, she said, "No, thanks, I can wait. And don't even think about accidentally shooting me with the tranquilizer gun!"

Carlisle chuckled. "I don't think you have to worry about that, dear. Edward is well aware that the dosage I'll have loaded in the darts would stop your heart in an instant."

Alice chimed in, "And we all know that's the last thing he wants to do."

Edward glared at his sister, offended by her mordant humor. But Bella smiled and pushed up onto her toes to kiss Edward's cool cheek. His hand was immediately upon her hip, resting lightly yet lovingly.

"I'm okay," she said earnestly, "and I will be later, too."

From the corner of her eye, she saw Jasper slip into the room and twine his long arms around Alice. Silently, almost reverently, the rest of the family glided into the living room. Bella realized it was time to go.

Esme and Alice embraced her tenderly, wishing her well. Emmett enveloped her in a generous yet surprisingly gentle hug and told her he'd be waiting with Edward. Jasper clasped her hand briefly yet warmly, assuring her he would be nearby. Rosalie did not approach her, offering a peremptory, "Good luck." Still, Bella felt that the blonde truly meant it.

Edward took her hand, and they walked from the room. She glanced back once at the family she now considered her own, hoping sincerely that she would see them all again.


	19. Chapter 19

Edward sat on Bella's bed, watching her dig through her laundry basket searching for clothes that would contain the strongest remnants of her scent. As she lifted each item, he inhaled, easily identifying the garments most redolent of her unique aroma. However, he refrained from sharing this information with her.

"I slept in this three nights in a row," she said, holding up a blue tank top—one of his favorites. "But it's sort of small...not a lot of surface area. Maybe something with sleeves, too…" She pulled out a soft cotton shirt. "I guess this will do."

She stuffed the items, along with a pair of jeans, into a clean plastic garbage bag. Alice had advised her to keep the clothes in a container that would prevent Edward's and Carlisle's scents from mixing with hers. She tied a knot at the top of the bag.

"Okay, looks like I'm all set," she said.

Edward remained taciturn, replying with nothing more than a small shrug. He could tell that Bella was making a concerted effort to ignore his behavior, trying to act as though she weren't willfully waltzing off to offer herself to a monster.

"Oh, I need a blanket, too," she commented, disappearing into the hallway to open the linen closet. She returned with a thin, worn quilt. "Alice suggested it," she added almost conversationally. "If I wrap myself in it while I'm in the car, I won't pick up as much of your scent."

He frowned at this. It was really too much. He would not tolerate his sister's glib attitude toward Bella's safety.

"You two act like you're going to a damned high school football game!" he snapped. "But this isn't a game, Bella. Do you really understand what you're going to be facing?"

She stiffened at his tone, and he saw her small hands curl into fists at her side. "Yes," she replied simply, meeting his gaze. "But I have confidence in Jasper's ability to help calm him and in Carlisle's skill in preparing the proper tranquilizer—yours, too, for that matter. I also trust Jacob, Sam, and the rest of the pack to step in immediately if they need to. I've thought it out; we all have. What I don't understand, though, is why your attitude has changed so much. You were the one who told us how much he's suffering, and you were the one who first suggested that we should try to help him—"

"No," he interjected curtly, "not _we. _I never intended to include you in that."

"Well, I'm included now. I have to be." She took a step toward him, placing her hand softly upon his shoulder. "I need to do this, Edward. And it will be much easier if I know I have your support." Her tone had become gentle.

"How can I support something that could get you killed?" he retorted, but his voice was soft and almost tremulous.

"I'm going to be fine."

He shook his head. "You keep saying that, but you don't know… Even Alice doesn't know." He took her hand. "Please, Bella, just take a minute to think this through reasonably."

"You think I'm being unreasonable," she huffed slightly.

He pulled her into his lap to silence her with a kiss. Her lips were so warm, so alive against him. His fingers tangled in her hair as her small, hot hand came up to wrap around his neck. Finally, she drew back with a little knowing grin.

"You're getting your scent all over me," she commented dryly.

"Mmm, good," he murmured, nuzzling against her cheek.

Bella sighed then stood, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright. "I definitely want a rain check," she said a bit breathlessly.

He exhaled deliberately. "I'll hold you to it."

Quickly she kissed the top of his head then hurried to the bathroom. He heard the rustle of fabric then water running and knew she was trying to wash his lingering essence from her skin. When she returned, she wore different clothes, and her face was pale. Her respiration and heartbeat were a little fast, and he realized she was in pain. She'd had to remove the sling when she'd changed clothes, although it was back in place now.

"Bella, have you hurt your shoulder again?" he asked with concern.

"No, it's all right," she replied quickly. "I just got a little twinge when I pulled off my shirt, but it's better now."

He reached for her, but she took a step back. Her expression showed disappointment; however, her tone was firm as she said, "Wait until I've got the blanket around me."

She wrapped the quilt over her shoulders then nodded at him. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to rip the fabric from her and enclose her in his steel arms and never let her go. His fingers twitched at his sides.

His perceptive little human glanced down quickly then said, "Please, Edward, don't. Just let me do this."

He had to try once more. "But Bella—"

She shook her head. "It'll only be more dangerous for me if he smells your scent. This is the best way—the most _reasonable_ way."

The clever little minx was using his own words against him. His lips were a thin, hard line, but his eyes belied his tenderness as he replied, "Fine, but the instant this is over, you're staying in my arms until I'm ready to let you go—and that will be a very, very substantial length of time."

She smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

She did not protest his hand at her back, resting over the blanket, as they walked down the stairs. Carlisle's Mercedes was just pulling into the driveway as they stepped outside. Reluctantly, Edward opened the car's back door for her and watched while she slid inside, adjusting the quilt so that her clothing didn't touch the leather seat. She gave him an appreciative nod as he began to close the door.

"Thank you," she said softly, referring to more than his small act of common courtesy.

He got into the front passenger seat with a terse greeting to his father. Carlisle glanced back at Bella to ask, "Ready?"

She nodded. "You?"

"Yes," he responded. "I believe this dosage will be optimum to achieve a sense of calm while still permitting him sufficient motor control to phase if he's able."

Edward frowned at Carlisle's casual, calm tone, purposely ignoring the reassuring thoughts he attempted to send. Instead, Edward immersed his mind in his own ruminations. However, after a few moments he realized that Bella was trying to catch his eye in the rearview mirror. He couldn't deny her gaze. He turned around to reach back, resting his hand over the blanket covering her knee. Neither spoke with words, but the depth of their communication was clear.

Carlisle politely kept his attention on the road. He was driving fast, of course, but his speed was lower than usual. Edward realized he was giving them a few extra moments. Even so, the time passed in an instant, and soon they were deep in the woods, on a small dirt road. It ended about a mile from the cave. Carlisle slowed the car and turned off the ignition with measured motions. He slipped out of the vehicle quickly.

For a few moments, heavy silence surrounded Edward and Bella. "Are you sure?" he whispered.

"Yes."

Then the stillness was broken by Emmett's voice as he burst into the clearing, Jasper loping a few paces behind him. Edward kept his focus on Bella, however, until she reached for the door handle.

He leaped out to open the door for her, automatically reaching for her hand. She twisted away from him. With a wistful frown, she quickly said, "I'm sorry."

"I know," he acknowledged.

"Hey, little sis, you ready?" Emmett inquired as soon as she stepped out of the car.

She nodded, lifting the bag of clothes. Looking at Jasper, she asked, "How about you?"

"Yes," he replied succinctly.

Edward knew that the empath was working to calm himself as much as possible, trying to shield himself from the emotions roiling through the clearing. Edward realized that his own were the strongest, but it was nearly impossible to curtail them. They would fade from Jasper's system, however, as his proximity decreased.

Carlisle was giving the prepared darts to Emmett, who enthusiastically loaded them into the tranquilizer gun. The process took less time that Edward would have liked; he wasn't prepared for Bella to walk away yet.

Jasper's contemplative gaze rested upon her, and she smiled at him. "I'm ready," she said.

Emmett handed the gun to Jasper, who would pass it on to Sam prior to approaching the cave. The burly vampire grinned at Bella.

"Good luck!" he said cheerfully, but Edward heard murmurs of concern in his mind.

"Yes, Bella," Carlisle added, "best of luck. We'll see you soon."

Edward was not comforted to see an image in his father's mind of the emergency medical bag he had packed.

Bella smiled, but Edward thought it looked forced. He could hear her heart rate accelerating as the critical moment drew nearer.

"Thanks," she said. Then she turned to face Edward. "Remember that rain check," she said softly.

"Always," he replied. His throat and chest felt very tight.

She lifted her chin in a tiny gesture of ineluctable resolve that he would have found adorable in any other situation. Here and now, the motion seemed a mockery of fate.

Turning toward the far edge of the clearing, she said to Jasper, "Let's go."

Jasper nodded in response, but he took a moment to direct a final thought toward Edward. _I'll watch her as much as I possibly can. You'll be able to see everything I see; I won't keep anything from you._

Edward whispered his thanks. Even so, as his brother and Bella walked into the deep shadow of the woods, he had to summon all of his strength to keep his feet planted firmly on the forest floor. Carlisle took a step toward him, placing a hand lightly over his shoulder.

"It's going to be fine," the elder vampire said.

Edward shook his head. "We don't know that."

Then he closed his eyes so that he could concentrate completely on Jasper's mind. It was small comfort, but it was the best he could grasp for the moment.


	20. Chapter 20

Aside from a few cursory words, Bella and Jasper walked in silence through the still, dreary forest. Heavy clouds hung low in the sky, making the shadows even deeper. However, Bella's anxiety level remained fairly low, thanks to Jasper's efforts. He was emanating calm, for both his and her benefit.

Sam, in human form again, met them about two hundred yards from the cave. Jasper gave him the gun.

"The effects lasted less than fifteen minutes before," Sam cautioned Bella. "We won't risk you being in there with him as they start to wear off, so you won't have a lot of time. If this dose works and he seems calm enough, we'll step back, out of the cave, so that our influence isn't as strong as yours. But we can be on him in a second if we need to be."

Despite Jasper's efforts, Bella's palms suddenly felt clammy, and her heart began racing, but she was determined to see this through. "I trust you," she said with conviction.

He replied with a nod. "So, I'm going to get one of these babies into him," he began, lifting the gun as he met Jasper's gaze, "then you come in and work your freaky vampire magic."

Unruffled, Jasper said, "Carlisle thinks the dosage in one dart should be enough, but be ready with a second one, just in case."

"Yep." Sam began walking back toward the cave.

Jasper gently grasped Bella's arm through the quilt. "I'll stay back here until the tranquilizer's been administered, then I'll run up to the cliffs and do what I can to calm him further, all right?"

She nodded. "I need to change clothes, but I want to wait until I'm close to the cave so that I don't pick up any other scents."

"I'll see you soon," he said.

Bella followed Sam for a few minutes. He waited with his back turned while she shrugged out of her sling and shed her clothes, slipping into the garments from the bag. She left the sling with the other items, thinking it would smell like both Edward and Carlisle. She tucked her hair up under an old, knit cap then said, "Ready."

Sam instructed her to stop walking when they were about fifty yards from the cave. "I go in alone now, then Jasper will approach from the east once the dart is in."

Bella stood beneath the cool, damp trees, listening in vain for anything that would tell her what was happening. Of course her human ears could hear nothing but the slight sounds of the forest. She was alone, vulnerable, just like she'd been the previous night… She shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself tightly in a futile effort to stave off the chill creeping through her body.

* * *

It was Jacob who came for her. Bella felt relief immediately as the huge, russet wolf trotted toward her. However, before he got too close, she held up her hand.

"Jacob, stop," she said. "I'm trying to keep my smell as human as possible." She gestured toward the set of clothes she'd donned. "I'd better stay back a little."

He gave a low growl of complaint but tossed his shaggy head in a gesture of compliance.

"Edward didn't get to touch me, either," she added, thinking Jacob would appreciate the minor consolation. However, her tone contained hints of compunction.

Jacob's lips curled into the equivalent of an ironic canine smile, then he turned back toward the cave. He twisted his head to watch her as she followed him, trying to keep up with his rapid pace. She knew she had limited time, so she trotted along and ignored the throbbing in her shoulder.

Jasper stood on the far side of the cliff, his limbs loose and his facial features relaxed. He appeared calm, and she felt some of her anxiety vanish, too. She did not resist the emotional shift; she understood that the calmer she felt, the more tranquility Jasper could absorb then emit.

He nodded at her then glanced toward the cave. She followed his gaze. The wolves were filing out of the cavern, leaving the creature alone. She could just see the shadow of his figure lying on the ground. Was he unconscious? She wasn't sure. She walked closer, and the wolves moved away from her. She took that as a good sign.

Bella knew she should be frightened, but she wasn't. Jasper's gift alleviated her fears, propelling her forward. Sam gave a low yip, and she glanced at him. His eyes met hers, and she thought he was reminding her that she needed to hurry, to complete her task while the creature remained tractable. Still, the rational part of her kept her steps unhurried; she didn't want to startle him.

She blinked as she entered the dim cave. The air felt warm, almost muggy, and she could smell the lingering muskiness of half a dozen thick fur coats. She paused for a few seconds until her eyes adjusted a bit, then she moved forward slowly.

The creature lay on his side, curled inward slightly. His eyes seemed to be closed, but she couldn't see distinctly enough to be certain. She wondered if she should speak to alert him of her presence.

Suddenly she heard him snort lightly, and he lifted his head from the ground. She froze, cautious despite her overall forced calm. He sniffed, tilting his head toward her. She took a step forward, softly cooing, "Sshh, sshh."

A low sound vibrated through him, but she didn't think it was a growl. Despite the twitching of his limbs, it seemed he could not lift his torso from the ground. Outside, Sam yipped again, urging her to hurry.

Bella took another step, and the creature snuffled loudly. She could see his eyes now. They were open and fixed upon her intently. She was perhaps five feet away from him.

"It's all right," she whispered. "I want to help you."

His eyes glittered in the dim light. While Bella was well aware of the canid features—prominent ears, elongated nose, lips slightly curled back by necessity to accommodate the wicked teeth—it was his expression that captured her attention absolutely. She could see his humanity in the confusion, loneliness, and pain that twisted his countenance. His eyes were almost heart-breaking.

"Oh," she assuaged softly, "I know. You're going to be all right."

Slowly she sank to her knees. He watched her movements, his arms and legs trembling as he attempted to push himself up. He rose shakily onto his elbows, thrusting his head toward her. His mouth opened, and he inhaled deeply. Perhaps his mouth, like that of a cat, contained some sort of sensory organ.

Bella held out her hand as she inched closer. He nearly snorted, his head jerking back then thrusting forward again. His lips drew back further. He was tasting the air, sampling her scent.

A rumbling noise was building in his chest, but it didn't sound like a snarl. If anything, Bella felt is resembled a moan. His nostrils flared. He closed his eyes, and, aside from a slight quaver of his entire body, his motions stilled completely.

She was now close enough to touch him. She lifted her hand again, leaning forward a little.

Abruptly his eyes shot open and his body lunged toward her. His movements, however, remained awkward and weak. She flinched but maintained her position. His eyes raked over her, once, twice, three times as his inhalations increased in depth and frequency. He needed more of her scent.

Bella didn't realize her hand had curled into a fist until she glanced at it. She opened her fingers and moved her hand toward his face. He was nearly panting now, his body quivering faster. A tendril of fear began to creep through her, but she continued her cautious yet purposeful movement.

"Sshh," she soothed again, and then she pressed her palm gently against his cheek.

Outside, she heard several low barks of warning. How long had she been in the cave? She'd lost track as the minutes ticked by. The atmosphere was warm, heavy, almost hypnotic.

"Just a little more time," she murmured, certain the sensitive ears outside would hear her. "I'm okay, and he's still pretty subdued."

But that wasn't entirely true. While the tranquilizer—or perhaps Jasper's influence—kept him from making any major movements, the creature was becoming more agitated. However, to her his emotional state seemed one of excitement rather than aggression.

His skin was hot beneath her palm. She could feel the coarse hairs prickling against her skin. The rumbling in his chest grew louder; it was almost a whine now. His head jerked forward slightly. His eyes were studying her intensely as his nostrils flared further. She could see a few beads of moisture gathering beneath his snout.

Remaining as still as possible, Bella hunched before him. With great effort, he twisted his head so that his snout brushed against her hair. Once again he inhaled mightily. A sharper yap echoed outside the cave, momentarily drawing his attention. Now the sound in his breast was closer to a growl.

"It's okay," she murmured. "They won't hurt you. Just focus on me."

Rationally, she knew it was unlikely that he could comprehend her words, but perhaps her tone would pacify him. His eyes returned to her face, and the low snarl ebbed. His respiration increased, and again he pressed his nose to her head. She could feel the clamminess against her scalp, but she did not move. There was nowhere to go, anyway.

She was aware that his movements were less retrained now. She suspected that soon he would regain control of himself. When he lifted one arm and set his paw heavily upon her injured shoulder, Bella began to tremble.

"Remember," she urged in a whisper. "Remember who you were. You were like me once…"

His eyes never left her face. His hot breath saturated her hair, tickling her scalp uncomfortably as he continued to pant against her. She watched as his eyelids fluttered. Something was happening; she could feel it…

"Bella!" The slight Southern drawl was soft yet urgent. Jasper was outside the cavern. "You've got to come out now."

"No," she said, her voice barely audible. "Just a minute more."

The creature twitched, his hand curling around her shoulder. She could feel the sharp claws against her skin. His eyes opened again, darting toward the entrance. He growled deeply.

"Sshh," she murmured again. "Just focus on me. Just remember."

His penetrating gaze returned to her face. His legs shuddered, the left one shooting out. He pulled himself up into a crouch before her, his hand still upon her shoulder. In spite of his relatively limited strength and ungainly motor skills, he was holding her down.

"Bella!" Jasper called again.

She barely heard him. Her focus was completely upon the creature before her. His entire body quivered as tremors rolled through him. She could see his skin undulating, and she felt something like a crackling sensation where his snout and hand touched her. His face twisted, lips drawing back as he lifted his head and cried out in a desperate, keening wail.

He was changing: Bella had no doubt about that. But she could not tell what he was shifting into. Her instincts overtook her. She tried to draw back, to pull herself away from him. For an instant his arm wrapped around her back, tugging her into his chest. The heat his body emitted was almost painful to her, and the crackling stung. She gasped and pushed her hand feebly against his face.

His strength was rapidly returning. She could feel it in the solidity of his body and the steel grip of his arm.

"Please," she rasped.

His eyes were deep amber now. He met her gaze for one piercing moment, then he growled fiercely, teeth snapping beside her ear. Pain shot through her shoulder as his claws extended.

"No!" she cried.

When he growled again, Bella screamed.


	21. Chapter 21

Edward had been pacing incessantly, the ferocity of his frantic tread leaving a deep, gouging trail across the clearing. He'd provided terse updates for Carlisle and Emmett as he listened to Jasper's and the wolves' thoughts, but aside from these he'd remained taciturn.

Now he was utterly immersed in Jasper's mind, watching as his brother left his position on the far side of the cliff. Jasper was exhausted; calming the creature had been an arduous task. However, he felt he'd been fairly successful. He'd heard the steady heartbeat and breathing, so different from the creature's usual frenetic responses. Bella's voice had been soft and relatively calm, too; she wasn't frightened.

But then Sam's warning yips had alerted Jasper to the creature's increasing heart rate and respiration. The tranquilizer was wearing off. Jasper needed to get closer to the cavern so that he could project emotions more directly. Bella was asking for a little more time, though, assuring those outside the cave that everything inside was fine. Jasper knew this would not be the case for long.

He darted toward the entrance, carefully assessing the climate within. Fear, agitation, and anger were building, but it was difficult to determine whether they came from Bella or the creature. Regardless, little time remained until the beast would be completely uncontrollable. He knew that his presence was a double-edged sword. It could fuel the creature's rage, but it could also provide some mitigation of the intense emotion.

"Bella!" Jasper called softly. "You've got to come out now."

"No," she replied in a whisper. "Just a minute more."

Jasper felt that she was in pain. Even so, her voice sounded gentle and unhurried as she told the creature, "Sshh. Just focus on me. Just remember."

He called to her again. She did not respond. The creature was becoming very agitated, tension thudding from it—more than Jasper could contain. He could sense the alteration in energy within the cavern, too. The creature was pulsing with burgeoning power.

_Edward, _he beckoned silently yet urgently, _Bella's in danger. You should come now._

Edward's head snapped up, and he inhaled sharply. "Damn it!" he hissed, leaping from the clearing in one swift motion.

"Edward?" Carlisle called after him. "What's happened?"

Edward knew there was no need to answer; Carlisle had easily guessed. Still, he turned his head slightly, calling back into the wind, "The creature's going to phase, and she's in the cave with it!"

"The wolves—" Carlisle began.

Edward saw him grab his pack before his feet began to fly over the damp earth. Emmett was right on his heels.

* * *

No one spoke again, but when Edward heard Bella's scream, a howl of pain ripped from his chest.

In Edward's tortured mind, the scene he witnessed resembled pandemonium. Images from Jasper's, Jacob's, Sam's, and the other wolves' perceptions bombarded him in a cacophony of sound and sight.

All of the wolves burst into the cave at once, Jasper immediately behind them. Edward heard sharp growling, the snapping of powerful jaws, Jasper's muttered curse, and high, mournful whimpers of pain. There were overpowering smells, too: the noisome canine odor, cloying and slick; and blood—human blood.

Edward cried out in unintelligible words as he flew through the woods. The seconds required to reach the cave were interminable. He had never run faster or with more effort, yet his feet seemed to drag over the moist ground.

When the cliffs came into view, his eyes immediately sought the cave. In his mind he desperately attempted to sort through the patchwork of images and sounds. It was an impossible task; Jasper's and the wolves' thoughts were too muddled.

"Bella!" Edward called frantically as he approached the cave.

And then he heard Jasper's thoughts. His brother was experiencing deep sadness. The sentiment was mirrored in the minds of the wolves, too.

"Bella?" he questioned, his voice dropping in anguish as he entered the cavern. He paused for an instant to survey the scene.

Six enormous, furry flanks obscured his view. He couldn't see Jasper's head above the wolves. Heedless of any attempt at courtesy or tact, he shoved aside two wolves—Jared and Paul, he realized vaguely—and shouldered his way through the throng. Jacob stood at the far edge of the circle, closest to the wall. His stance was protective. However, as Edward approached he moved aside.

"Edward." The soft, feminine voice was weak and raspy, but he had never heard a sweeter sound.

His eyes found Bella against the back wall. Jasper had his arm around her, one hand resting gently over her head. Edward listened to identify her distinct heartbeat among the others. It was too fast and not as steady as he liked, yet it still sounded beautiful to him.

In an instant he was on his knees before her. "Bella. Are you all right?"

Jasper quickly moved away as Edward's hands sought her face. Her skin was cool and clammy. His gaze raked over her. He saw no blood, but he could clearly smell it. Her natural perfume pervaded his senses, and for a moment it was all he knew.

"It's coming from her back," Jasper said quietly. Sensing Edward's apprehension, he added, "I'm all right for now."

Edward knew that Jasper was making a concerted effort to hold his breath. Edward appreciated the endeavor, but this wasn't the time for thanks. He gave one brief nod of gratitude then carefully eased Bella forward. A bloodstain was spreading over her left shoulder blade.

"I'm okay," she murmured, grasping feebly at his shirt. "It's just a scratch, I think."

Her gaze moved beyond him, and suddenly she was blinking back tears. "Oh no," she murmured. She leaned past Edward, trying to see.

He turned his head to the circle of wolves. Sam had phased back to his human form and was now crouched beside the figure crumpled on the floor. The rest of the pack retained their lupine bodies. _Just in case,_ Jacob told Edward pointedly.

Carlisle and Emmett burst into the cave.

_Holy shit, it reeks in here!_ Emmett thought.

_Bella?_ Carlisle questioned, his gaze finding her quickly. _She's bleeding._

Edward nodded, but before he could speak, Bella did.

"Carlisle, can you help him?" she asked, her voice strained with emotion.

"But you're hurt, sweetheart," Edward protested.

"It's not that bad," she replied. "He sounds like he's in a lot of pain…"

Edward suddenly realized that the whimpering came from the naked human curled inside the circle of wolves. Unwilling to relinquish his hold on Bella, he shifted slightly to the side as Carlisle approached and knelt before her. Emmett shuffled over to stand a few feet away, his eyes darting between Bella and the wolves.

Carlisle studied Bella's face for a moment then pressed his fingers over the pulse point in her throat. Her gaze was fixed beyond him, her attention drawn to the moaning man.

She caught Carlisle's wrist as he tore her shirt away from her shoulder to expose the wound. "That can wait. He needs your help."

_Edward? _Carlisle quickly inquired. _What do want me to do? The damage appears primarily cutaneous, and she's not bleeding profusely… _

Edward glanced at Bella's anguished expression. "All right," he whispered, the words almost catching in his throat. "Check on him. It's what she wants."

Carlisle reached into his bag for a dressing, handing the package to Edward. "Keep pressure on the wound," he instructed before darting across the room to kneel beside the shuddering man

In an instant Edward had the thick gauze pressed over the injury. Bella's breathing stuttered when he first touched the wound, but she said nothing. He slid his fingers into her hair and kissed her temple.

Carlisle had immediately noted the man's accelerated heart and respiration rates. Placing a hand tentatively upon his shoulder, he asked gently, "Can you understand me?"

The man sobbed and clutched at his head.

"My name is Carlisle. I'm a doctor, and I want to help you."

Another harsh whimper ripped from the man's throat.

"Can you tell me your name?" Carlisle asked.

The man tried to curl in upon himself further, but Carlisle prevented the motions with gentle yet firm hands.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said. "I'm just going turn you over. All right?"

The only response was a low groan.

_Edward, _Carlisle inquired_, is able to_ _understand me?_

Forcing his attention away from Bella, Edward listened carefully, trying to access the man's mind. He could hear each of the wolves, his brothers, and his father with clarity. There was someone else, though… He concentrated. Faintly, he heard a few jumbled words indicative of disjointed thought. There was a distant whisper of a name interspersed with random images and broken words.

"He's very confused," Edward reported. "I'm not sure he can comprehend…"

"He's frightened," Jasper added. "I think the wolves should step out."

This suggestion met with a number of growled objections, but Sam convinced the pack to go outside. They could return in an instant if necessary. Edward was vaguely aware that Jacob phased as soon as he left the cave. He wanted to be inside with Bella to be certain she was all right. Edward made no protest to this.

Carlisle rolled the man onto his back and began examining him, speaking quietly to him as he worked. _He's still extremely anxious and appears disoriented_

Edward nodded in agreement, realizing that the fragmentation of the man's thoughts resembled psychosis. He'd spent time in several psychiatric wards during his years in medical school; he recognized the atypical cognitive functioning.

"I think phasing back caused a psychotic break," Edward said softly.

_I can give him haloperidol? _ Carlisle questioned silently.

An anti-psychotic was a good idea; it would probably help. Edward was surprised at first that Carlisle had brought the appropriate medication, but then he realized that his father had anticipated this as a possible outcome.

"Yes," Edward agreed simply.

Realizing that his son had based his answer upon an understanding of the man's mind, Carlisle immediately administered the drug. Within a few moments the man quieted, and his eyes closed.

"He's stable for now," Carlisle said, directing his words to Bella.

"Will he be all right?" she asked. "Did he phase back to human form completely?"

"Yes," Carlisle replied, "physically, at least. As far as I can tell, his body is fully human."

"But his mind…," she finished as comprehension began to creep over her.

"He appears to be in significant psychological pain," Jasper confirmed.

"I've never heard someone sound so tormented," Sam commented softly. "He seemed like he was in agony."

"I'm sure he's frightened and confused," Carlisle said. "Perhaps he'll feel better once he's in a more comfortable environment. If possible, you should all remain in your human forms."

"Where do we take him?" Jacob questioned from his position a few feet from Bella and Edward. "He can't be La Push while he's like this."

"We could use the lodge," Sam suggested.

Edward immediately realized that he was visualizing a remote cabin where some of the older tribal members still occasionally retreated for ceremonies.

Edward nodded in approval. "It's far enough away that neither La Push nor Forks would be threatened if anything happened."

"We'll look after him," Sam said.

"We can see how he does," Carlisle commented tentatively. Like Edward, he was wondering if the man would be able to phase again.

He continued, "You know he may still be dangerous. You'll need to exercise considerable caution… It's possible, too, that the damage to his mind is permanent. We don't know if phasing back to human restored his brain function completely. He may require more help than you can offer. Unfortunately, the risk of his phasing again is too great for me to take him to the hospital to perform a comprehensive neurological assessment. So all we can really do now is wait and try to keep him comfortable."

He prepared several more injections of haloperidol for Sam to administer over the next two days. Carlisle hoped that a slightly lower dosage each time would permit Sam and the rest of the pack to reintroduce the man to human company gradually.

Emmett had moved relatively slowly toward the mouth of the cave. _I'm gonna bring the car a little closer,_ he offered. _I think Bella will be more comfortable riding back instead of being carried._

Edward gave him a nod of thanks, then he darted outside.

Bella had been quiet during the discussion, resting her head against Edward's chest. She was beginning to shiver, and he knew he should ease away from her, but he couldn't bear to let her go.

He checked the gauze to see that the bleeding had slowed. Still, the white material was deeply stained. He was anxious to assess the wound more carefully but knew Bella would resist any further treatment until she was certain the man was safe. So he was glad when Carlisle took the emergency thermal blanket from his pack and wrapped it around the limp body, preparing him for transport. Jacob and Sam moved in to lift him.

"Quentin," Edward said softly.

Carlisle gave him an inquisitive look.

"I think that's his name," Edward explained. "I heard it in his mind… it was vague, but he seemed to connect with it."

"Thank you," Sam acknowledged. "That's going to help."

He and Jacob carried Quentin from the cave. Jacob returned, however, to speak to Bella.

"You gonna be okay?" he asked, concern clearly etched in his features.

She nodded. "You'll take good care of him?"

"Yeah, we will." He took a step forward and crouched before her. "Thank you for helping him," he said, his voice low. "I'm really sorry you got hurt. We should've come in sooner…" Edward heard sincere regret in his mind.

"If you had," she replied, "he couldn't have phased back."

He shrugged. "Still… I wish it'd turned out differently."

"I'll be fine," she said, reaching out to clasp his hand.

"God, Bells, you're freezing," Jacob said with a frown. He visualized wrapping her in his arms, pressing her against his hot skin…

Edward was quite relieved when Jasper stepped back into the cave, saying, "This should help."

He had retrieved Bella's old quilt from the woods. He handed it to Edward, who wrapped it carefully around her.

Jacob stood, gazing pointedly at Edward then at Carlisle. "You'll be sure she's okay?" There was a distinct warning in his tone.

Unperturbed, Carlisle replied, "Yes, we will."

Jacob nodded then quickly strode from the cave. Edward got to his feet, adjusting Bella in his arms so that he could carry her comfortably.

"I'm going to head home," Jasper said quietly.

Edward knew he was anxious to see Alice, as well as to spend some time in the fresh air. Between the stench of the wolves and the scent of Bella's blood, his sense of control was becoming increasingly tenuous.

"We won't be far behind you," Carlisle said. Then, too softly for Bella to hear, he added, "Perhaps you should take Alice and go for a hunt. It will be a little while before Bella is completely cleaned up."

Jasper nodded then slipped outside, pulling his phone from his pocket. He would call Alice, and she would immediately spread the news to the rest of the family. Edward and Carlisle waited a minute or so to follow after Jasper, permitting him ample time to escape the overwhelming odors. Carlisle tucked the blanket more securely around Bella before they left the cave.

"How are you doing?" he asked her kindly.

"Okay," she replied, but her voice sounded weak to Edward.

Her heart rate had not returned to normal either, which indicated that she was still experiencing a fairly significant degree of pain. As he observed the way she shifted slightly in his arms, he realized that her dislocated shoulder was hurting her, too.

With mounting concern, Edward asked, "Has your shoulder been injured again?"

She sighed. "When Quentin began to phase, he threw me back, to protect me, I think. I sort of hit the wall…"

"Oh Bella," Edward began.

Quickly she said, "It doesn't hurt as badly as it did before'"

"Even so," he said, "it must be painful. Let Carlisle give you something—"

Her pretty brow furrowed. "No, it's not that bad."

He did not need to hear her mind to know that she was downplaying her discomfort for his benefit. He was about to offer her a gentle reproof when Carlisle spoke.

"Let me check your shoulder to be sure it hasn't slipped out of place again."

"I don't think it has," she replied, but she didn't protest when he moved away the blanket and carefully felt about the joint.

Edward was relieved that his father found no significant damage.

"I'd like you to take an anti-inflammatory, Bella," Carlisle said. "And your arm needs the support of the sling to keep pressure off the joint. Why did you remove it?"

"It had your scents on it," she replied with maddeningly simple logic.

Carlisle's lips quirked upward for an instant as he rummaged in his pack for a small packet of Tylenol 3. Edward was glad he'd chosen the acetaminophen with codeine, but he didn't plan to tell Bella that.

By the time she'd swallowed two tablets, Edward could hear the distant purr of the Mercedes. Emmett was nervous about facing Rosalie's wrath if he damaged the car, so he only drove as far as the nearest dirt road would take him. He was about half a mile away.

"Emmett's in the car, just beyond those trees," Edward told Bella.

She nodded, obviously relieved. She remained quite chilled despite the quilt. The light drizzle that had begun falling wasn't helping. The vehicle's heated leather seats were surely beckoning her.

"We'll have you home in no time," he added, walking quickly yet carefully, cradling his precious, fragile cargo in the safety of his arms.

* * *

_**Note: **There are still a few more chapters to resolve all the issues remaining. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all those wonderful readers who have taken the time to leave a review. Your support and feedback are what keep me going! _


	22. Chapter 22

The next hour passed somewhat hazily for Bella. She'd stopped shivering, warmed by the toasty leather seats by the time they reached the house. Esme hovered near the kitchen, her expression both anxious and apologetic. Jasper, Alice, and Rosalie were nowhere in sight.

Edward carried Bella upstairs to his room, where Carlisle cut away her shirt. Edward held her carefully pressed to his chest while his father cleaned away the blood with a wonderfully warm cloth. Bella was feeling a little drowsy, and everything seemed muted somehow. She tried to watch Edward's eyes but found his gaze focused upon her back. His brows had pulled together, and she realized he was watching Carlisle work.

She flinched just a little when she felt the sting of a needle beneath her shoulder blade, and then lovely numbness spread through her, erasing the dull pain entirely. She thought Edward and Carlisle were whispering, but she decided attempting to listen was too much work. Instead, she ran her fingers over Edward's chest.

He kissed her hair and cupped her head in his hand. Perhaps he was holding her steady, but she didn't really care. It just felt good to be in his protective, loving embrace again.

She wished he didn't look so pained, though. She wondered just how badly she'd been hurt. The pain had been fairly intense for a few moments, but it had faded slightly after she'd been thrown back against the wall.

"Edward?" she questioned a bit hoarsely. "How bad is it?"

He shook his head. "You need stitches."

"Mmn, I figured that—what with the numbing and all."

She was aware that he and Carlisle exchanged a look.

"Tell me. Please," she said.

"There are four lacerations," Carlisle replied softly. "All require sutures. I've finished with three of them, and I'm going to do the final one now."

"How many stitches?" she asked.

"Twenty-nine so far," Carlisle answered, his tone somber.

That explained Edward's stricken expression. "That's not so bad—less than ten each," she said, trying to sound positive. "I know he wasn't trying to hurt me."

Something rumbled in Edward's chest, but he didn't say anything. Bella curled her hand over his hip and felt his fingers slide through her hair. No one spoke again for several minutes. She heard only her own breathing and the small sounds that accompanied Carlisle's work.

Finally, he said, "I'm finished."

He stood, moving so quickly that she saw only a blur. By the time she'd blinked, Esme had entered the room. Carlisle and Edward stepped out while she helped Bella change into a pair of loose silk pajamas, then Carlisle returned to place her arm carefully in a sling.

She thanked him, then asked, "Can you call Sam and find out how Quentin's doing?"

He nodded. "I was planning to do that soon."

"Let me know, please?"

"Of course, dear."

Edward hovered near the doorway, his posture rigid. Bella held out to hand to him as soon as Carlisle stepped away.

Immediately Edward was kneeling before her, holding her face tenderly.

"I'm okay," she assured him.

"That's subjective," he replied tightly, clenching his jaw. However, his hands were very gentle as he wrapped a cashmere throw around her. "Are you warm enough?"

"I'm fine."

He sighed, his stiff features shifting slightly to hint at fond exasperation. "Of course you are." He cupped her chin in his hand and met her gaze deeply. "Now tell me how you're really feeling."

He was so earnest that she could not prevaricate. "The scratches are still numb, so they're not bothering me. My shoulder's just a little sore, but it's not bad at all."

His fingers stroked her cheek lightly. "You're tired, love. You should sleep. Esme wants you to take their room—"

"Actually," she interjected softly, "I'm not sleepy now. I really want to hear how Quentin is doing."

"If you won't sleep, will you try to eat something?"

She nodded. "Okay."

Mindful of her injuries, Edward carefully carried her downstairs. Esme had placed a small mountain of pillows on the couch, and soon Bella was settled among the softness. Esme brought a large mug of chicken soup, which Bella sipped dutifully while she waited for word from Carlisle. She watched Edward's face for any sign of his father's thoughts as he spoke to Sam, but she could discern nothing.

Carlisle finally walked into the living room, smiling in approbation when saw the cup in her hands.

Immediately, Bella asked, "How is he?"

"He seems stable," Carlisle replied. "The haloperidol is keeping him sedated, but the next dose will be lower, and he should begin to regain some lucidity… We'll have to see how he does then."

Feeling a small flicker of hope, she said, "Are you going to go see him?"

Carlisle and Edward exchanged a look—undoubtedly due to more of that vexing silent communication—before the elder vampire answered.

"Edward and I will drive up there tomorrow."

Of course Edward's presence would be necessary to judge the coherency of Quentin's thoughts. Bella was glad he appeared willing to accompany his father.

"I want to go, too," she said.

"Bella—" Edward began, not unexpectedly.

She held up her hand to stop him. "Edward, please. I need to see him. I feel a connection to him. Maybe I can help some more."

His expression showed only deep concern when he said quietly, "Sweetheart, you've been hurt—you've suffered two major physical traumas in as many days. You've lost blood… You need to rest and regain your strength."

"I'll go to sleep soon." She caught Carlisle's eye. "I'll even take something to help if you think I should."

Edward exhaled slowly, and she could tell he was relenting. "We'll see how you are in the morning," he said. Without further discussion, he lifted her into his arms and began walking toward the stairs.

She glanced back at Carlisle. "Promise you won't leave before I wake up," she entreated mildly.

He nodded. "You have my word."

Bella rested her head against Edward's solid chest, permitting her heavy eyelids to close. In the safety of his arms, sleep came quickly.

* * *

When Bella woke, sunlight filled the room. She required a moment to recall where she was. The surroundings, although unfamiliar, were comforting. She lay in a huge bed amid soft, pastel linens. The furniture was a warm, honey tone. Bright accents of rich emerald and sumptuous gold in the upholstery of the love seat and overstuffed chair leant an air of subtle elegance to the décor. Bella remembered, then, that she was in Esme and Carlisle's room. She smiled as her eyes took in the beautiful furnishings again. They were a perfect combination of the couple's personalities.

"Good morning," Edward's soft voice murmured, drawing her attention to the doorway.

He appeared more relaxed than he had the last time she'd seen him. His features were softer, his posture looser. In an instant he was at her side, one cool hand resting upon her cheek.

"Morning," she replied, her voice a bit husky. "What time is it?"

"Nearly nine."

"How long was I asleep?" she asked with a little frown.

"Ten hours, give or take a few minutes."

"Oh." She sat up slowly, trying not to wince at the pain her motions caused. Her shoulder ached dully, and the scratches stung.

Edward was watching her carefully, clearly trying to judge the degree of her discomfort. However, instead of asking her how she felt, he inquired gently, "May I check your back? Carlisle went to the hospital to pick up a few things before we go to the lodge…"

She gave a nod of consent and unfastened the first few buttons of her pajama top. He slid the silky fabric down over her arm to expose the injury site. She pulled up her knees and leaned into them as he removed the bandage. She felt his cold fingers brush over her skin, but his light touch elicited no pain.

"How's it look?" she asked, twisting her head around so that she could see his face.

His expression, however, was unreadable. "There are no signs of infection," he replied, relief finally washing over his features.

He applied a fresh bandage then held out a glass of water. She saw several pill bottles on the night table. "I suppose those are all for me?" she asked with a small sigh.

"Carlisle and I want you to complete a short course of antibiotics, just as a precaution—standard for wounds caused by animals." He shook two large tablets into her hand. After she'd swallowed them, he continued, "You need something for pain, too."

She was about to protest, but he shook his head and attempted to muster some sternness.

"That's not negotiable," he said. "However, the choice of medication is. Do you want regular Tylenol or Tylenol with codeine?"

"Regular, please," she replied immediately.

He arched an eyebrow knowingly. "Of course."

She took the pills obediently and finished the glass of water. She was quite thirsty, she realized. Edward darted into the bathroom to refill the glass.

"You're a little dehydrated, I think," he commented, watching as she drank the second glass a bit more slowly.

"Mmm, better," she said, feeling somewhat refreshed. Her stomach gurgled, alerting her to her growing hunger.

He smiled. "Are you ready for breakfast now?"

"I am."

"Esme," Edward murmured.

Seconds later, Esme and Alice stepped through the door. Esme carried a tray, and Alice held a pitcher in her hand. A grin spread across Alice's face as soon as she caught Bella's eye.

"You look better!" she chirped.

"Than what?" Bella couldn't help but ask.

"Than you did last night."

Edward frowned at his diminutive sister, but she ignored him, instead perching beside Bella to fill her glass with orange juice.

"When did you get back?" Bella asked her.

"Around three in the morning. You were sleeping, of course, but I had to see how you were. You were awfully pale. Edward wouldn't leave your side—wouldn't even let go of your hand—"

"Alice," Esme chided gently, "let Bella eat in peace."

Bella offered Edward a smile of both apology and gratitude then dug into the fluffy scrambled eggs. She didn't realize how hungry she was until she saw her empty plate. She'd polished off all the eggs, the piece of toast, and the little bowl of yogurt. Her glass of orange juice was empty, too. Her cheeks felt warm as she surveyed the damage.

Esme was smiling softly. With her characteristic warmth and grace, she asked, "Would you like some more?" She made it sound like a compliment.

"Oh no," Bella replied, "that was plenty. It was really good. Thank you."

"You're welcome, honey." Esme swiftly gathered the tray and pitcher. "Carlisle phoned a little while ago. He'll be here in about twenty minutes. He'd like to leave within the hour."

"That's fine," Bella said. "I just need to get dressed."

Alice grinned. "I'll help you get ready,"

Bella eyed her warily. "Alice…"

"Don't worry, I'll take it easy on you," Alice assured her.

"You need to keep the bandage dry," Edward cautioned his sister. "And watch her shoulder. It's still healing."

"I know," Alice replied lightly.

After a brief yet stern look at Alice, Edward kissed Bella then followed Esme out of the room.

* * *

Alice managed to use some restraint as she helped Bella to wash and dress. She permitted her charge to wear comfortable jeans and a roomy sweater and brushed her hair into a simple ponytail. Feeling considerably refreshed, Bella walked downstairs with Alice.

The family was waiting in the living room. Emmett rushed to Bella, clearly wanting to hug her but holding back with anxious caution. She smiled up at him and wrapped one arm around his burly frame. He settled for cupping her head warmly in his huge hand.

Rosalie offered her a nod of greeting and something akin to a pleasant look involving a minor twist of her lips. Bella smiled in reply.

Jasper approached her and took her hand. "You're feeling better," he said. "I'm glad."

"Me too," she acknowledged. "Thank you for all your help."

"I just wish I had gotten in there a few seconds sooner," he said regretfully.

"I'm okay," she reassured him. "No permanent damage done."

Carlisle was now standing before her. Resting his palm against her cheek, he gazed intently at her for a few moments; she knew he was conducting a silent examination with his enhanced senses. His smile told her he was pleased with the results.

She smiled in return then asked, "Have you spoken with Sam today?"

He nodded. "Quentin is still stable. Sam administered a lower dose of haloperidol about an hour ago, so we hope he'll be a bit more lucid by the time we arrive."

"I'm ready whenever you are," she replied.

"Bella," Edward said, "wait."

She turned to him, prepared for another protest about her desire to accompany them. She found herself frowning in anticipation. Her expression changed when she heard his words.

"It's still drizzling, and it's chilly today," he said. "You're going to need a jacket."

"I think I can handle that," she responded with a grin.

Suitably bundled up, she, Edward, and Carlisle climbed into the Mercedes. Heavy gray mist enveloped the car as they left the highway and began climbing the narrow road up the mountain. Soon Bella could see nothing but the dull glow of the headlights through the shroud of fog.

Unbidden, a shiver crept through her as she wondered what awaited them at the lodge.


	23. Chapter 23

Edward had not been pleased with Bella's desire to accompany him and Carlisle to the lodge, but he had found it difficult to deny her. If he were honest with himself, the thought of spending even an hour without her was unbearable. He realized now that he'd been entirely selfish to agree to her request.

He'd told himself that logically there had seemed little reason to refuse. She had slept soundly for ten hours and fourteen minutes. He had monitored her closely throughout the night, checking her temperature, heart rate, and respiration repeatedly to find all within normal limits. Carlisle had assessed her several times as well, assuring Edward that he had no cause for concern. She had suffered surprisingly few long-term effects from her experience in the cave.

Bella was alert when she woke. Her cheeks were rosy, and her appetite was robust. Her wounds were healing well with no indications of infection. His only concern had been her mild dehydration, but after two glasses of water and a large serving of orange juice she had seemed nearly recovered. Still, he'd harbored reservations about the excursion.

The rational part of him knew that she would be better off resting quietly for the entire day. The love-sick fool in him craved her company, her scent, her warm skin beneath his cold fingers.

He'd been willing to leave her for a few hours if necessary, though. He'd waited until Carlisle saw her, deferring to his father's expertise in assessing her condition. Carlisle found her in remarkably good health, all things considered. He saw no reason for her be excluded from the trip to the lodge. Indeed, his professional opinion was that her presence could prove helpful to Quentin.

As they pulled onto the narrow dirt road that comprised the final miles to the lodge, Edward wondered if Carlisle had altered his initial opinion, too. The two men exchanged glances in the rear-view mirror as Bella shivered for the third time.

Edward held her in his arms, her coat and his heavy wool sweater protecting her from his cool body. The heating in the seats was on high; the warmth should be sufficient. She shouldn't be chilled in the warm atmosphere inside the car—unless she was becoming ill.

He detected nothing atypical in her gorgeous scent. She was breathing evenly, although her heart rate was slightly on the high side.

_She looks a little pale, _Carlisle thought as he caught Edward's eye again. _Check her temperature._

Edward nodded and cupped Bella's cheek softly in his hand. She'd been gazing out the window, and she flinched slightly at his touch.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

She turned her head toward him, nuzzling against his hand. "No, I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I was a little preoccupied—it just startled me." She offered him a smile. "Don't ever apologize for touching me."

_Edward? _Carlisle inquired silently.

"Normal," he reported too quietly for Bella to hear. Then, at human volume, he asked her, "Are you all right, love? You look uncomfortable."

She cuddled against his chest. "I guess I'm just sort of wondering how he'll be. I was hoping he'd be okay once he changed back, but obviously he's not…"

She wasn't ill; his wonderful, compassionate Bella was simply anxious. He kissed her fragrant hair. "It will take some time," he said. "But the fact that he's no worse today is encouraging."

"Yes," Carlisle agreed. "The dosage of Haldol was decreased for the second time, and he's remained stable, so that's good news."

"Oh," she replied, and he could feel her body relaxing against him. "I didn't realize that…"

"And there's no reason you should," Carlisle replied gently, polite and considerate as ever. "I'm sorry we didn't have a chance to tell you more about his condition and what to expect. Somehow that didn't seem like a priority last night."

"It's all right," she said. "Would you tell me now?"

"Of course, dear."

As his father began explaining the nature of psychosis to Bella, Edward's thoughts drifted. He found her silky, aromatic hair and soft, warm skin distracting. His fingers moved tenderly over her cheek then slid into her hair. She lifted one hand to rest it over his chest. Even through the layers of wool, he could feel the heat of her skin and the pulsing of her veins. Her palm lay directly over his unbeating heart, and for a moment he could almost imagine warm blood flooding the long-still organ with life. It was already completely awash with love.

As the car slowed, Edward pulled himself from his reverie. The fog remained thick, and he tucked Bella's coat around her. She'd had to put it over her shoulders to accommodate the sling; he could only fasten a few of the buttons. He wished he'd thought to wrap a scarf around her neck… He'd have to speak with Alice about that.

Carlisle parked a few yards from the cabin. Edward darted around the car to help Bella out, keeping his hand at her elbow in case the ground was slick or rough. Soft light was visible in the building's windows. He could smell kerosene and burning wood and realized that the lodge did not have electricity.

As they walked, Edward listened to the minds inside the structure. He identified Sam, Jared, Paul, and Embry quickly. He couldn't hear Jacob or Quil. The Quileutes were aware of their arrival, all tensing slightly by instinct. The immediate focus of their thoughts was the visitors, so Edward could get little information about Quentin's current condition.

"They're thinking about us," he reported to Carlisle.

"Can you hear Quentin at all?" the elder vampire asked.

Edward had been trying, of course, but the wolves' thoughts were rather overwhelming; their innate response to the vampires resembled mental shouting. However, beneath the minor furor, in the background, he could now sense a whisper. It wasn't linguistic per se. It was more sensory in nature: an observation of the surroundings based upon sight and sound.

"He's aware of them," Edward commented. "He knows there are people near him, and he can hear them speaking, but I'm not sure he understands."

Carlisle nodded, walking a little faster toward the door. Sam opened it before he could lift his hand to knock.

"Dr. Cullen," the Alpha greeted obligatorily. "Edward, Bella." He swung open the door to admit the visitors.

They entered the warm building to find a spacious, open room with a large stone fireplace on one wall. Several thick branches burned behind the iron screen. A woodstove and several simple tables indicated that the far corner was used as a kitchen, while two worn couches covered in old quilts identified the opposite area as a lounge. Lanterns lit the room with soft light.

Quil and Jared sat stiffly on one of the couches, offering Bella a nod of greeting. Quentin lay upon the other sofa, wrapped in a bright crocheted blanket. His eyes were partially open. Now that Edward could spend a few moments observing him, he realized that Quentin was no older than Sam—probably a year or two younger. Edward listened carefully, trying to isolate his heartbeat. He noticed that three of the hearts in the room beat faster than the normal human rate. Bella's was nearest, of course, but he'd recognize her unique sounds anywhere. The fifth heartbeat was a little slower, so he surmised it was Quentin's, but he couldn't determine this as a certainty.

"Where's Jacob?" Bella asked softly.

Edward realized that she'd hoped to see her friend here. Had that been part of her motivation for coming? He should have grasped that immediately…

"He and Quil went back to La Push," Sam replied, keeping his voice low, too. "We're not comfortable leaving our people unprotected." _It's not just about you, _he added voicelessly.

Edward nodded in acknowledgment. "We understand," he said.

Carlisle's gaze had immediately sought Quentin. He was studying the man from afar, assessing his respiration rate and general appearance.

"Has he shown any response to you?" Carlisle asked Sam.

"He seems aware of us," Sam answered, "and when we speak to him, we feel he can hear, but he hasn't said much. We've tried to use his name a lot—but we haven't seen any big response to it."

"He doesn't appear significantly agitated," Carlisle observed.

"No," Sam agreed. "He's been pretty quiet—not moving much."

Still observing Quentin, Carlisle said, "I'm going to approach him."

Bella had watched the interaction intently, her eyes moving between Sam, Carlisle, and Quentin repeatedly. Edward kept his arms around her protectively; he still didn't quite trust Quentin not to phase abruptly and injure her again. She moved within his grasp, and he thought she wanted to accompany Carlisle.

"No," Edward whispered, "let him go first."

She gave him a questioning look.

"We don't want to overwhelm Quentin," he explained, even though it was only partially true.

She relented, leaning back into his chest. Carlisle walked across the room slowly. Quentin's head was turned slightly toward the back of the couch; he showed no sign of awareness at the newcomer's approach.

Carlisle set his bag on the floor several feet from the couch. "Quentin," he said gently, "my name is Carlisle. I'm a doctor. I want to help you."

Quentin's breathing increased marginally, but he did not turn his head or open his eyes further.

"I'm going to touch your arm," Carlisle told him, waiting a few seconds before moving aside the blanket. He paused again then rested his fingers lightly over the young man's wrist.

_Pulse is strong and steady, _he shared with Edward. _Temperature seems normal… Oh, why didn't I think of that earlier? _He took a silent step back then reached into his bag.

Holding up a digital thermometer, he asked, "Sam, would you mind?"

"Me?" Sam questioned, surprised.

"Yes. I want to compare his temperature to yours. I know you all have higher body temperatures than the average human, but a precise reading will help me determine his current state."

Sam was still confused, but he gave a shrug of consent. Carlisle quickly slid the device into his mouth then waited until it registered. He glanced at the readout, one eyebrow arching in surprise.

_108.9—higher than I thought. They're a fascinating lot…I wonder if I could get Sam to agree to provide a blood sample? _

Edward cleared his throat to pull Carlisle from his scientific musings.

"Close to 109, right?" Sam asked.

Carlisle nodded. "Yes."

"We've all checked a few times," Sam said. "We usually run right around 108.9 or so."

Jared and Embry murmured their agreement.

"Their heart rates are high, too," Edward commented.

_But Quentin's pulse and temperature appear entirely normal, _Carlisle finished, looking pointedly at Edward to see if they'd drawn the same conclusion. It was clear that they had.

"Edward?" Bella asked softly. "What are you thinking?"

"I'll let Carlisle explain," he replied.

Without realizing it, he had loosened his hold on her slightly. She took a step forward, and he did not stop her, although he kept her hand in his.

Carlisle had returned to Quentin to assess his temperature more precisely. While he was a very good judge of readings by touch, he felt he needed an exact number in this case. Even a couple of tenths of a degree could be significant. Edward fully agreed with him.

"98.7," Carlisle reported.

He checked the young man's reflexes then performed the same tests on a slightly bemused Sam. Edward was unsurprised that the Alpha's reflexive responses were extremely fast and relatively intense.

Bella watched the proceedings with great interest. "He's comparing Quentin with the others," she said quietly.

"Yes," Edward responded.

"Because if he's closer to human in his temperature, heart rate, and reflexes," she concluded, "then maybe he doesn't have the ability to phase anymore?"

A grin spread over Carlisle's face as he heard her words. "Excellent thinking!" he complimented. "You're exactly right, Bella."

Quentin drew a sharp breath and turned his head, his eyes opening fully. Instantly Edward moved in front of Bella, and the Quileutes all shot to their feet. Carlisle tensed, listening closely to the man's heartbeat.

Edward's focus narrowed to Quentin's mind. He frowned deeply at what he heard.

_Bella. Bella. Bella. _

Quentin was repeating her name over and over as an image of her face formed in his thoughts. He saw the cave and remembered her moving toward him, speaking gently and holding out her hand. Her voice had been unintelligible, but the tone had soothed him. And as she got closer then knelt before him, a few fragments of the noise had begun to make sense.

_"…be all right… who you were… like me once_…"

Her face…her skin… her soft hair and scent. He had been drawn to her, pulled toward her so strongly, and then the shaking and pain began…

"He's remembering," Edward whispered. "He's starting to recall what happened in the cave."

"Let me by, Edward," Bella appealed very softly. "He won't hurt me."

"It's all right, son," Carlisle urged, holding out his hand to Bella.

Reluctantly, Edward stepped aside, remaining only a few steps behind her as she walked across the room. Bella took Carlisle's hand, and he squeezed it reassuringly. Then he led her the remaining paces to the couch. She rested her hand upon Quentin's head.

His eyes had not left her from the instant he'd heard her name. He gazed up at her face, his expression anxious. Edward knew he was trying to reconcile his memory of her within a broader context. Everything was still hazy, though.

"Quentin," she said gently, smiling at him. "It's so good to know your name. I'm Bella…"

"He remembers you in the cave," Edward murmured.

She stroked his hair tenderly. "It must have been so frightening. I'm sorry you had to go through that, but you're safe now, you're well."

"I think he understands you," Edward said just loudly enough for her to hear. "Your words are starting to make sense to him."

She nodded. "Quentin, do you know your last name?"

His eyes moved, and he blinked. He was confused by the question.

"I'm Bella, Bella Swan," she said patiently, putting a slight emphasis upon her surname. "And you're Quentin, Quentin…?"

His lips moved, and then his mouth twisted, but he was unable to speak coherently. An odd rasp, almost a hiss, passed his lips.

"It's all right," she said with a brief glance back at Edward. "Just say it to yourself."

_Quentin, _he repeated silently, _Quentin Lock…Quentin Wood, Quentin Lockwood…Quentin Lockwood. _He closed his eyes as the name ran through his mind over and over again.

Edward exhaled slowly. "It's Lockwood," he said softly. "Quentin Lockwood."

Sam thought for a few moments before saying, "I don't know any Lockwoods up near the border or down south, but I'll call Old Quil and Billy. They might have run across someone."

"I'll have Jasper do a records search, too," Carlisle offered. He'd already taken his phone from his pocket.

Bella's hand remained on Quentin's head. "Good job," she told him quietly, her fingers running through his matted hair. "You're going to be fine, Quentin."

His lips were moving noiselessly; his eyes remained closed. Edward listened to his thoughts, which were still entirely centered upon repeating his own name.

"Can you tell me where you're from?" Bella asked, then she prompted gently, "Quentin?"

Edward heard nothing in this mind other than the name. "I don't think he can," he said. "This is probably all we're going to get from him now."

Bella's expression showed her disappointment and sadness at this news.

Carlisle rested his hand on her shoulder. "This is an excellent start. If we can find his family or his friends—put him someplace familiar and safe—I think he'll continue to remember."

She seemed relieved to hear this. "What else can we do for him?"

"He should eat," Carlisle said. "Perhaps you can get him to swallow a little soup?"

Bella was happy to try. Sam heated soup on the woodstove, and she fed Quentin several spoonfuls. He showed no resistance, and his mind registered the warmth as it passed his throat. However, he seemed unable to interact further. After he'd finished about half the bowl, his eyes closed fully and he drifted into sleep.

Carlisle checked his vitals again and prepared several more doses of Haldol, each lower than the last.

"Call me this evening to let me know how he's doing," he requested to Sam as he shut his bag.

Sam nodded. "I will. And you'll let me know if Jasper finds out anything?"

"Of course, immediately."

Bella had not left Quentin's side. She'd put her hand back on his head after feeding him. Now Edward took her elbow, tenderly urging her to rise.

"It's time to go," he said.

She nodded, rising slowly. For just a moment she faltered, and Edward instantly steadied her.

"Are you all right?" he asked, studying her face and listening to her heartbeat.

"Yes," she replied a little weakly.

He kept his arm around her as they walked to the door. Good-byes were quick yet relatively amiable, and soon Edward had her curled against him in the backseat of the Mercedes. He kissed her forehead, and she smiled.

"Do you have any idea how wonderful you are?" he asked her.

"Mmm," she replied vaguely, rubbing her cheek against his sweater.

"Well then, I suppose I'll just have to tell you."

And he did, his voice washing over her as rain pattered softly against the roof of the car.

* * *

_The story will be concluded in the epilogue. Thanks again to all those who have reviewed!_


	24. Epilogue

Warm sunlight caressed Bella's face; cool fingers lightly stroked her hand. She smiled, her own fingers curling around Edward's.

"Good morning," he murmured softly, lifting her hand to kiss it.

"Morning," she replied, her voice a bit rough from sleep.

She opened her eyes to Edward's wonderful smile. He lay beside her, propped up on one elbow. His skin glowed in the bright light, eliciting an even broader grin from her.

"Beautiful," she whispered, tracing the contours of his cheekbone.

"I pale by comparison," he replied, kissing the bridge of her nose.

She laughed. "Hardly."

"Agree to disagree?" he suggested, sitting up quickly. Before she could reply, his adoring gaze shifted to a slightly more appraising look. "How are you feeling?"

Bella took a moment to evaluate herself. Her shoulder ached dully, and as she shifted a little the wounds on her back gave a twinge of protest. But she and Edward were safe—and his family and her friends were safe—so she replied, "Okay."

His dubious expression showed how well he knew her. She thought she heard him sigh as he reached for a glass and the bottle of Tylenol on her night table. He offered her two tablets, which she swallowed without protest.

"What time is it?" she asked. Edward's body blocked her view of the clock.

"Almost nine," he told her.

"I slept for eleven hours?" she asked rather incredulously.

His brow furrowed as he said, "You needed it. Oh, Charlie left you a note." He passed her a folded sheet of notebook paper. She read it quickly.

_Bells, I didn't want to disturb you this morning. You were sleeping really soundly. Hope your shoulder's feeling better today. Call me when you wake up. I can come home if you need anything. Love, Dad_

"Was he very worried this morning?" she asked Edward.

"A little. He was afraid your shoulder was hurting you."

Of course Charlie didn't know about the deep scratches on her back, and she had no intention of informing him about them.

"I'd better give him a quick call," she said, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.

Edward took her elbow gently as she began to stand; she knew he was still worried about her. Her legs felt slightly wobbly, but she suspected that was mostly due to the fact that she'd eaten little last night. Edward had brought her home just after seven, and Charlie had ordered pizza so she wouldn't need to cook. The thick, greasy cheese hadn't appealed to her, so she'd only had a few bites. By nine o'clock she'd barely been able to keep her eyes open, and she was asleep before ten.

Edward kept an arm around her as they walked down the hall to Charlie's room. She reached for the phone by his bed and punched in her father's cell phone number. He was relieved to hear that she was up and feeling better. She assured him that she didn't need anything.

"You should just stay home and rest today," he advised. "You looked really worn out last night."

"Maybe Alice and Edward can come over to watch a couple of DVDs," she replied.

Charlie paused for an instant but didn't object aloud. "Ask Alice if she can bring you some lunch—I'll pay her back."

"That's a good idea. Thanks."

"I'll get dinner from the diner," he offered.

"Okay."

"Call me if you need anything before tonight."

"I will. Thanks, Dad."

After they said their good-byes, Bella ducked into the bathroom to attend to a pressing human need. She washed her face and ran a brush through her hair, too, then made her ways downstairs. Edward was in the kitchen, spreading peanut butter on two pieces of toast. He'd set glasses of orange juice and milk on the table, as well.

She smiled her gratitude and gulped the juice. When she'd slaked her thirst, she asked, "Have your heard anything else from Jasper or Sam?"

When she'd left the Cullens' house last evening, neither Jasper nor the Quiluetes had found anything concrete about a Lockwood family, but they were still checking.

"I had my phone off while you were sleeping," Edward responded. He pulled the small device from his pocket, his eyes flicking over the screen. "Alice and Carlisle both called," he said before listening to his voice mail.

Bella ate a piece of toast and took a few sips of milk while she waited. She watched Edward's face for any hints about the contents of the messages, but his lips remained slightly pursed, and his expression didn't change until he shut the phone.

"Well?" she prompted.

He sat down across from her, reaching for the small amber bottle on the table. "You need to take your antibiotics," he said.

"Fine, but what did they say?"

"Alice said she wants to come over later," he replied, his lips quirking up into a half smile. "As a matter of fact, she insists—Charlie expects it, after all."

"And Carlisle?"

Edward took her hands gently, his expression sobering.

"Edward?" she pressed, growing anxious, "what is it? Has something happened to Quentin?"

His thumb stroked soothingly over the back of her hand. "No, love, nothing like that. Really, it's good news."

"And?"

"Sam and the elders thought he was from one of the tribes near the border, so they focused their inquiries within that area. Jasper searched throughout the state, but when he found nothing he broadened the parameters. He found a small number of Lockwoods among the K'omok tribe on Vancouver Island, near the town of Campbell River."

"That's his family?" she asked almost breathlessly.

Edward nodded. "Yes, in a manner of speaking. His parents apparently died when he was about nine—they lived in a remote area on the northern tip of the island. Quentin was sent to live with a second cousin's family, the only relations who could be found. He spent the next eight years with them, then when he was seventeen he disappeared."

"How? Did they know why?"

Edward shook his head. "No. But it was after he and a friend had gone to Alaska." He exhaled slowly. "They'd gone hunting about fifty miles from Denali. The woman with whom Sam spoke was elderly and couldn't remember all of the details, but she thought something had happened during the trip. She did remember that Quentin was acting a little strange when they returned, and then he fell ill with a very high fever. It was during this time that he vanished."

"When was that?"

"Almost two years ago," he answered somberly.

Bella's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh!" Tears welled in her eyes, and she swallowed against the lump in her throat. "He was out there, all alone, for two years! He must have been so scared, so confused…"

"Yes."

"But how did he end up here?"

"I imagine he wandered, keeping to the shelter of the woods. Perhaps he picked up traces of the other wolves at some point and followed them to La Push… They've run patrol pretty far north, nearly to the border."

Neither spoke again for several long moments. Both were immersed in thought. Finally Bella said, "So what happens now?"

"It's already happening," he said gently. "Sam, Jared, and Embry are driving Quentin up to Vancouver Island right now. They left about two hours ago."

"So he's already gone?"

"Yes."

A tear slid down her cheek, and Edward's cool fingertips tenderly wiped it away.

His voice was soft as he said, "I know you would have liked to tell him good-bye."

"It doesn't matter." She sniffed and swallowed hard. "He's going to his family, his people. They'll help him—won't they?"

"I'm sure they will," he replied, moving around the table in an instant to lift her into his lap. She rested her head against his solid chest as he ran his hand over her hair. "He'll be all right, Bella."

"I hope so."

He held her for a long time. Finally he cupped her chin and looked down at her.

"Can you finish your breakfast?" he asked, glancing at the remaining piece of toast and half-full glass of milk. "You still need to take your antibiotics."

Bella sighed long-sufferingly, but she didn't really mind his assiduousness. After she'd eaten the toast and emptied her glass, he gave her the pills then had her turn around in her chair so that he could check the wounds on her back. He was applying a fresh bandage when the phone rang. With lightning speed, he secured the dressing then reached for the phone, handing to her before the second ring.

She was a little surprised to hear Jacob's voice. Immediately he asked, "Bella? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Jake. Have you heard anything from Sam yet?"

"He's out of range now, but I could hear him until a little while ago. Quentin was doing okay—mostly dozing but looking out the window some. He was pretty calm."

She nodded. "That's good."

"Yeah. I think he's gonna be okay." He took a quick breath. "How's your back? There was a lot of blood—"

"I've got a few stitches," she said casually, ignoring Edward's sudden frown, "but it's healing and hardly hurts at all."

"God, Bells, I'm so sorry you got hurt. But I want you know how much I appreciate what you did. We all do."

"Thanks, Jake." She didn't know what else to say, and her throat was starting to feel tight again.

"So you, um… just take care of yourself. Let me know if you need anything."

"I will."

"Okay. Well then, 'bye."

"'Bye, Jake. Thanks for calling."

Edward took the phone from her and hung it up. When he turned around, she was surprised to see a gentle look upon his face. Usually the mere thought of Jacob set his expression into a deep scowl.

"I guess you heard all of that," she said.

He nodded. "Jacob was right," he said softly, "about everything."

A little laugh bubbled up unbidden. "That's a first!"

"Hmm, I suppose it is. It's probably a last, too—I can't imagine I'll ever agree with that dog again." His tone, however, remained amiable.

Bella stood, pushing up onto her tiptoes to kiss him. His hand came to rest against the small of her back, his fingers kneading lightly. She remained in his embrace until they heard a knock at the front door.

Edward drew back. "That will be Alice. She's brought movies and lunch for later."

Smiling knowingly, she said, "You sound disappointed."

"Oh, I am," he replied with a lopsided grin. "I was hoping to make good on that rain check. I haven't had nearly enough time alone with you."

"Maybe we can send Alice out for dessert," she suggested.

He kissed her again, quickly but affectionately, then took her hand as they walked to the door. Alice greeted them ebulliently, then flitted off to the kitchen to stow Bella's lunch. When she returned, Edward and Bella were settled on the couch, his arm around her waist.

Alice swiftly loaded the DVD player then sat down. "Charlie's going to stop by in about forty minutes, just to check on things. He'll stay for half an hour then he'll have to get back to work." She looked pointedly at Bella. "After he leaves, I'll go get some ice cream for you. I heard there's a new store in Port Angeles that sells gelato."

"Gelato from Port Angeles?" Bella repeated. "Perfect!"

"You'll be crazy about the green apple flavor!"

Bella gazed up at Edward, who was smiling in appreciation. "I'm sure I will," she said.

She cuddled against him, and Alice curled up beside her hip.

"So, which one do you want to start with?" Alice asked, gesturing toward the DVD boxes.

Bella glanced at the titles. "Anything is fine, as long as it's light."

She didn't need to say aloud that she'd had enough of the horror genre for a while. Alice reached for the remote with a grin. "I know just the one!"

As soon as the film began, Edward sighed and gave a dramatic eye roll. "Really, Alice, _Pret-a-Porter_ again?"

She gave him a mock glower, and he reached out to ruffle her short hair.

"It's perfect," he said, his gaze landing on Bella again as his hand found hers. "I love it."

Bella smiled, and Alice simply said, "I know you do."

* * *

_The End_

_

* * *

_

_Once again, I leave my heart-felt thanks to those kind readers who have taken the time to leave a review. You all are what kept me going and gave me the motivation to keep posting the chapters. I send you hugs!  
_


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